Crossed Wires
by Y0URIMAGINARYFRIEND
Summary: Sasuke wakes up...In his sensei's bed. What on EARTH? It's all Naruto's fault... Warning: Abuse of the sexy no jutsu, plus some very clueless men. M-rated for language and sexual situations.
1. Waking

The plot-bunnies assaulted me, and held me to ransom - this is what I had to write to escape their evil torture...It's a one-shot, but if I get some interest (i.e. **reviews**) I might continue it. Or if my many violent fluffy muses (a.k.a. the plot bunnies) decide it should be elaborated upon. I have a few ideas jostling for my attention, but it will take some motivation to get me down to work. This is my first M-rated fic, and I'm not even sure it qualifies, so feedback would be **much** appreciated.

Oh, and italics are flashbacks, just in case you were wondering.

* * *

It was all Naruto's fault. Naruto was the one who insisted on a party to welcome him back, a welcome back party with Lady Tsunade's premium sake, and Genma making the punch. Oh yes...it was all Genma's fault too, for sticking god-knows-what percentage alcohol in the punch, in an attempt to get Sakura into bed. Not that it worked – she disappeared off with Hiashi of all people, and then Genma had to deal with a drunk Lee hitting on him. Served him right.

But really, it was all Naruto's fault, for suggesting that in the spirit of reunited comrades, they should try one last time to see under their sensei's mask. For coming up with the oh-so-brilliant plan. For teaching him that useless, perverted, _evil_ jutsu...though of course, he did make an absolutely ravishable girl...that was part of the problem. So his parents' faults too, for giving him his genes. And it was Ino's fault, for lending him that tight leather dress. It's not like Kakashi even looked weird under his mask – just normal, attractive man. Which was totally NOT the kind of thing he liked in a bed partner...well, except the attractive part. And since when had Naruto's plans worked before? If he'd known that the dobe had finally hit on a good idea, he would have refused to take part. He should have refused anyway...but he wanted to make a good impression now he was back at last, and Naruto's pleading eyes had been too much for him.

#

"_Sasuke, you have to! He already knows what I look like as a girl, and Sakura's not his type! Come on, it'll be fun!"_

"_And how exactly am I meant to know about this party? It'll never work, dobe."_

"_I'll take you as my date! Then you can get him drunk, and it'll be easy, believe it!"_

"_It won't work. Kakashi won't just 'get drunk', he's a jounin."_

"_Awww...just give it a try Sasuke! Please?"_

"_Hn. Whatever. But if he catches us, which he will, I'm saying you made me do it as an act of penitence, okay?"_

"_Great! Right, activate your sharingan, and watch carefully."_

#

It might even have been fine then, even with the leather dress, even with Naruto looking at his breasts, the pervert. Getting Kakashi drunk seemed easy, too easy, but that was before he knew that the punch was spiked. Stupid Genma. If it wasn't for his restraint-band (his main punishment upon return to Konoha – halved chakra and physical strength, plus constant tracking) he would beat the guy to a pulp for being so stupid. He was welcome to spike Sakura's drink, but the _whole_ bowl of punch? It was funny seeing Kakashi drunk though.

#

"_Kakashi? Would you like some more punch?"_

"_No thanks, I'll get tipsy if i have too much more. What's your name anyway?"_

"_I'm...um...Mikoto. So, you...err...want to go somewhere quieter? I'd like to get to know you...better."_

_The room was swaying slightly, but it took more then a bucking floor to knock Sasuke Uchiha down! Even with funny hips and extra long legs and stupid high shoes and the strange weight of his breasts. The mission was to see his sensei's face, through any means possible, and he wasn't about to fail his first Konoha mission in four years! He took Kakashi's hand (rough but soft, and much larger than usual...but in a good way) and lead him outside._

"_Where do you want to go, Mikoto?"_

_His sensei's voice sounded different when he had girl-ears. Softer, warmer, and far more enticing. He could just imagine it whispering endearments in his ear, warm an breathy in the dark...why did he have to choose Mikoto as his fake identity? It was his mother's name for gods sake, and he didn't need to hear Kakashi say it so...sexily. And where could they go? Not to his house, that was for certain, even drunk Kakashi would notice the proliferation of Uchiha fans on the walls._

"_Uh...is your place near? Mine's right on the edge of town..."_

"_It's nearer than yours. We'll be there in a flash."_

_And suddenly the world was spinning more than ever, and he was in Kakashi's arms, legs dangling and face buried in his chest. When did he start smelling so good? The warm chest against his nose smelt of warm grass, and heat, like the summers when he was a child, and something more...something wonderful. He snuggled closer, arms wrapping round the cloth-covered neck, just as Kakashi 'poofed' off._

#

He smelt the same now, only stronger, muskier, and all together sweatier. Still nice though, still warm and safe and lovely to be surrounded by. But definitely not nice enough to make up for the fact that it was there, emanating from the man next to him, the man who's ridiculous air of mystery had caused the whole problem. It was all Kakashi's fault too...though maybe not so much so, seeing as he probably would have noticed the henge if it wasn't for the punch. And the dress. And the simple fact that he was there, looking like an (unreasonably attractive) woman, instead of far away, a boy, killing his brother. There were going to be problems when the sleeping nin woke, the fact that his 'missing' student was in his bed instead of a hot woman not the only one. The front door might take a bit of explaining too...

#

_He wasn't quite sure when holding hands had become kissing, but it didn't really matter. The point was, that the lips pressing against his were hot, firm, and oh-so-masculine. And the tongue battling his was strong and demanding, and sent shivers through his whole body, making his hands clench the rough wall. Those lips were clearly meant for kissing. Not eating, talking, or breathing, just kissing and caressing, and grazing across his chin and down his neck to suck below his ear. He wished he had a more attractive pant. It sounded too harsh, felt too harsh, ran up through his throat and back through his ears, to the point where Kakashi's teeth nibbled._

_Kakashi. His sensei was giving him love-bites. They made him pant and writhe and push his hands into the messy hair. Thick, soft, impossibly angled, _beautiful_ hair. On a man he had known since he was twelve. It was quite clearly sick...but right now that didn't matter, because the poppers of the dress were being un-done hurriedly, and he could feel those callused hands scraping lines of fire across his breasts, contrasting with the cold night air. How did girls cope with such sensitivity? Surely just running would leave them a panting, shuddering mess, as their clothes rubbed against the flesh? Maybe it was just being outside in the cold that did it...outside, where everyone could see them._

"_Ka...gulp...Kakashi...can we take this...inside?"_

"_Of course, how discourteous of me."_

_Suddenly those hands found his rear, and lifted, letting the dress ride up round his waist, letting the unusually flat pad of his crotch rub against the hardness of his sensei. It made him whimper – the feeling, and the cold on his legs, and the fact that this was Kakashi, dammit! The man he'd known, and learned from, when he was twelve, was now groping his (feminine) buttocks, and grinding him against a wall for god's sake! The fact that it felt breathtaking had nothing to do with it. But before he could protest,the front door was kicked down, and he was swept inside, kisses raining down on his bard skin, to the bedroom._

_# _

It was definitely Kakashi's fault too. If the man hadn't been so damn impatient, he might have said something then! But after that, he was too busy feeling things to think. It all just became a blur of panting, and sensation, of the feel of having something _in_ him, the feel of his throat vibrating as he whimpered and screamed. It was Kakashi's fault for being so damned good in bed. Or maybe that's just how it was for girls? No, he'd heard that some girls were impossible to please. He was just lucky to be one of the ones who found every movement a source of pleasure.

He sighed, and sat up slowly, shaking his long hair down his back. _His_ long hair. Long. He stood, wobbled, and sat down again. Closed his eyes, opened them again slowly. Looked down. Breasts. The high-pitched scream that he produced only served to add to the evidence.

* * *

So, what did you think? Should I continue? Is the pairing just too sick and twisted? (By the way, Sasuke and the others from the rookie nine are now seventeen, so it's not kiddie molesting or anything.) Do you want it more graphic? More action-filled? More plot? Any comments or ideas you have, just tell me...and I might make it a multi-chapter


	2. Hangover

Yay, I decided to continue this fic! You guys were all so supportive (well, all of you who reviewed and faved and so on), I love you all! This is written from Kakashi's POV, just to confuse you all. The plot bunnies wanted his side of the story told.

* * *

A scream pierced the morning, pierced through his head, and made him wish he were dead. What the _hell_ was making that kind of noise at this time of day? In his room no less? His room. Instincts kicked in, and despite the headache roaring in his skull, he was up, and out of bed. His eyes took a second to adjust to the light, and he blinked at the woman whose throat he had pinned against the wall. No, apparently this was not a woman, his sharingan said it was Sasuke. He relaxed, then tensed again as he remembered that Sasuke was no longer a student – he was a missing-nin...and not only that, but the reason for his horrible wake-up.

"What are you doing here, Sasuke? In my room, naked, female, and _screaming_ at me?" He kept his voice light, conversational, hoping to hide his hungover state. She...no, _he – _Sasuke was male, whatever he looked like – pouted. Far too feminine for comfort. Far too nude for comfort, even if her long black hair covered most of her – no _his_ – top half. She shifted slightly in his grasp, clearly uncomfortable in the situation, but he wasn't about to let any enemy nin free, however harmless they looked.

"I...do you remember last night? The party? It was meant to be for me, a welcome back. I handed myself in, after killing Itachi. Don't hurt me – I've had my strength halved as part of my restraining order, so I'd die." Sasuke was batting his eyelashes now, unconsciously, as far as he could tell. If he was back, that was fine...well, not fine actually, but he could cope with it. None of it explained the femininity, or the nakedness, or the screaming though. And what about this party? It would explain his awful hangover, but the rest still seemed...then his sharingan eye spotted a purple mark on that pale throat, half hidden by the hair, and suddenly he could remember.

#

_Her skin tasted of sweat, salty and hot, and the scent of the leather still clung to her chest. The way she writhed under him, all squirming muscle and soft skin, made him want to bite her, mark her, make her scream his name. So he nipped and marked and let her twist and turn, letting her silky hands find their way under his top, scraping lines of desire across his abdominal muscles. She groaned and ripped his top off, pulling him against her, so he could feel the pressing of her hardened nipples against him, as their lips met in a damp frenzy._

_He would probably regret it in the morning, but right now he didn't want to think about the future. No when her legs were parted, and the only thing keeping them apart were his trousers and the scrap of slick lingerie, barely hiding her waiting core from him. The trousers had to go._

_He growled low in his throat, as her beautiful long legs wrapped around him, pulling him into her. He held her close, starting slowly, enjoying the feel of their now naked bodies as they rubbed hot, sweaty skin together. He caught her lips again, increasing the pace as little whimpers fell from her throat, rippled of tightness fluttering around him. She was, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the most gorgeous being on earth, and they melded together perfectly, hips in sync and arms holding tight._

#

He felt his face drain of colour, as the memories connected with the henged man in-front of him. He had slept with a student. With a traitor. With a _man_, for fuck's sake! For once in his life, he had no idea what to do. "Wh...Explain" He heard his voice croak, and tightened his fingers round the slim neck slightly, just to make sure Sasuke had no chance of escape. "Well...I came back. Despite everything, I'm loyal to this village. I saw Lady Tsunade, and I got my punishment – if I leave the village this year, a jutsu blinds me. My chakra and physical strength are halved, plus my whereabouts are always know to the Hokage." He grunted, that part, though not really satisfactory, made sense – the idiot boy just had to get the whole 'avenger' malarkey out of his system, before he could really move on. And his punishments were well judged. "So how does that explain last night?" After all, that was the really worrying bit, and the bit that just didn't make sense.

"The Dobe decided to hold a party, which I would 'magically' turn up at...supposed to be a surprise for everyone else...and he badgered me to try a plan to see under your mask, as a Team 7 reunion. So i ended up coming to my own party as a woman. Genma spiked the punch, Naruto and i got you drunk...the idea was to get you to kiss me, so you'd have to take off your mask. But it was...overly successful."

Kakashi's mind reeled – it made sense, but the whole thing was so _improbable_...it was clearly the truth though – no lie from Sasuke would be that bizarre. "So...you were drunk too?" Sasuke scowled at him, but on a girl's face it turned out more like a come-hither pout. "I'm not used to having a girl's liver. Or any girl stuff." That much was obvious. Still, there was one thing that still didn't make sense. "So Sasuke, why are you _still_ here, naked, female and screaming?" The high cheekbones stained pink, in such a highly sophisticated way it just couldn't be called a blush. His sharingan caught the shuffle of the feet too, but he managed not to let his gaze be pulled down. "...I can't undo it. I assumed it had reversed overnight when I woke up. But when I got up to go, I noticed it hadn't. Girls scream reflexively when shocked."

"Most women I know can control that reflex. Especially when the man they seduced has a hangover." His voice sounded too humorous. But there wasn't much to be angry about, now he thought about it – he had slept with a traitor, but one who had returned peacefully, and accepted heavy punishment. He had slept with his student, but the student was over-age, and had seduced him, when they were both drunk. He had slept with a man, but one who was physically a woman at the time. It was all in the past, and a day's meditation would sort him out – it really wasn't messed up in comparison to some of the missions he'd been on. Letting go of that soft, supple neck, he sat back down, glad for the room's dim lighting, easy on his throbbing head.

"So you've forgotten how to release the jutsu. I'm afraid I never learned it, so you'll just have to stay like that until we find Naruto. You can get breakfast for us both, since this hangover is your fault. Dressing-gown's hanging on the bathroom door." He rolled onto his back, and watched as 'Mikoto' left the room with a small "Hn." Of course, Mikoto was his mother's name. Well, at least that showed he hadn't been intending to take things so far, it must be a huge turn-off to hear the guy you're shagging shout your _mother's_ name. Genma needed a good talking to though: he quite clearly wanted to get someone drunk enough to take home, and while that was acceptable, it was poor strategy to get everyone else drunk too. Sasuke wandered back through, a pot of cold leftover rice, and one pair of chopsticks. "You're not going to eat?" She grunts, and angrily tosses her head, dark locks flying to reveal the bite-marks n her breasts. "No, the reason I couldn't release the jutsu might be because I drank...you might not be able to transfer food from one body to another, so I'm going to let my stomach empty."

He wasn't too sure about that idea, Naruto would never make a jutsu that prevented him from eating ramen, but it was Sasuke's choice, and it left more for him. The rice was bland, but he couldn't taste anything anyway with his headache, so it didn't really matter. He needed to get some water in him though, his liver didn't take well to alcohol. He sighed, realizing belatedly that he too was naked, and slung on his clothes a little less neatly than usual, before getting a massive mug of water from the kitchen. Sasuke just sat there, eyes closed, making various handsigns and muttering "release" every so often. The water cleared his head a bit, and he felt like facing the day at last.

"Right, Sasuke, you can wear...these. Spare clothing I keep for Sakura, in case she gets something torn on a mission. Then we'll go find Naruto and get you back to yourself." Sasuke's brows contracted, and he looked ready to protest, but got control of himself in time. Obviously he would rather be seen in another girl's clothes than his sensei's. Kakashi grinned at the teasing opportunities this would bring...though Sasuke would be able to tease back, probably. Oh well, he'd read of worse happening in the Icha-Icha series, and he didn't have any reputation to protect. Pulling his mask back on, he smirked at Sasuke, resplendent in Sakura's old uniform, several sizes too small. The slits probably went up to her waist, and he'd never be able to remember Sakura as a genin again without having the urge to laugh. "Hn. Lets go find the Dobe."

Kakashi restrained a letcherous comment, as Sasuke jumped over the window sill and revealed a complete lack of undergarments beneath the too-small tunic. This was going to be fun...hopefully Naruto would be hidden somewhere hard to find. They might even have to ask someone they knew where he'd got to. Sakura, preferably. Dancing inwardly, he leisurely followed Sasuke, wondering how many people would look up at the rooftops that day. If they got their timing right, they would see a fantatic view of the 'stoic avenger' and her shapely buttocks.

* * *

Hurrah for Kakashi's perverted mind (And Sasuke's shapely buttocks!) Now, should I leave it as a two-shot? Or do you want to know what happens to Sasuke? REVIEW and let me know what you think, and I'll do my best, you lovely little lovelies!


	3. Finding The Dobe

I have been chastised for holding me readers hostage for reviews...KakashiKrazed, I apologize, I will not do it again. So, you can now read in peace, knowing I will update whether or not you review. (Still, it does make my day when you do, so PLEASE continue begs on bended knees)

This chapter is Sasuke's POV, and I'm afraid there's no explicitness, sorry!

* * *

She didn't look pleased to see him, for once. In fact, she looked like she wanted to punch him, and he couldn't blame her. He would want to punch any man who tried on his old clothes, especially if the man was twice as handsome as him, and made them look slutty. Sakura was more patient than him though, and the presence of their sensei seemed to reassure her. He cleared his throat. "Uh, Sakura. Have you seen the Dobe?" She knew what the plan was, so she was probably suspicious, but no _way_ was he going to explain the events of last night to her.

"Yes...he's up on top of the Hokage monument. Endurance training with Lee I think." Oh great, yet another person who would see him in this state...if only he had some underwear. Yet another thing that wasn't his fault – Kakashi had been only too eager to rip the thin lace apart, and though the bra was still intact, it would have taken ages to get the damn thing on! But Lee, being Lee, would probably be too much of a gentleman to say anything. "Hn." He turned round, only to see Sai jump off a rooftop in front of Kakashi.

"Sensei, you have a mission – the Hokage needs you right away." Kakashi blinked, grinned at the world in general, flashed Sasuke a sorry-I'm-missing-such-a-great-blackmailing-opportunity look, and 'poofed' away. "So, Ugly, you got a girlfriend? She's out of your league, but she has equally bad dress-sense." Sakura's eyebrows snapped to a scowl, and he decided to get away from there, fast. The last thing he heard as he sprinted away, legs waggling horribly with his girl-hips, was a growl of "Sasukeeee!" Sometimes he wondered if life would be easier if Sakura had _not_ got over him.

#

"Dobe! Get your dead-last ass over here!" Lee and Naruto were sparring, but at the sound of his rival's (unusually high-pitched) shout, they stopped, staring at his tunic-clad, bare footed form. He stopped running, and folded his arms, unknowingly letting the zip slide down to reveal his cleavage. Naruto turned to Lee, murmured something to him, and sprinted over. "T...Teme? Why are you still running around as a girl? And why are you wearing Sakura's clothes...Wait! Don't tell me she's a lesbian and you?!" The Dobe was shouting loud enough for most of Konoha to hear, and Sasuke was uncomfortably aware of his lack of underwear – what if Jiraya happened to look up at the Hokage monument? Plus the wind was stronger up here, and the flappy bottom kept flapping up. He scowled, moving his hands to hold the edges down. "No you idiot – I completed the mission. Now tell me how to get my fucking body back!"

Naruto seemed nonplussed, eyes staring at a point below his face. Suddenly realizing the reason, he grabbed the idiot's head, and pointed it back at his face. "Stop ogling my tits, Baka! Tell me how to release the damn jutsu!" Finally the Dobe took notice, slapping Sasuke's hands away from his chin. "You just do the normal release sign, Teme, it's not complicated! Watch!" He turned to a girl and back again, showing just how easy it was. Suddenly Sasuke felt slightly scared – he had tried that, and many other releases, and none of them had worked. It must be because he had drunk, he needed to empty his system first... "Naruto, have you ever eaten, while in this form?" His voice sounded small, frightened, and still, resolutely, female.

"Yeah, a couple of times the Pervy Sage had me use it to go to bars and stuff...it's fine anyway...why?" At bars...so Naruto must've had alcohol while female too, that couldn't be it. What had he done to make it stick? Oh. Ohh...that. Realization hit him like a punch, and he suddenly felt light-headed. The world span round, stretching and swirling, before fading to black.

#

"Teme! Sasuke-bastard, wake up!" Naruto was hitting him..."Sasuke!!" He opened one eye. Naruto's face was right above his own, only sideways. He hit it, and sat up. "Ow! What'd you do that for?? I was only waking you up!" He chose to ignore this, and instead cut to the point. "Dobe, have you ever had sex? As a girl, I mean." Interestingly, Naruto blushed the brightest red he'd ever seen, and even covered his mouth for a moment before replying. "Yeah...why?" He ignored this, too. "And you could still return to normal. Wait, were you still a virgin at that point?" The blushing increased, clashing with the blond hair. "Uh...yeah. Why do you wanna know, anyway?" He'd have to explain. He checked his surroundings briefly, glaring at Lee, who was doing press-ups in the distance.

"I completed the mission, right? I...I slept with Kakashi." His face felt warm, and he mentally cursed the expressiveness of the female face. "You what!? You and...that's just SICK! He's _old_, and perverted, and he's our SENSEI! And you _SLEPT_ with him. EEEW!" Stupid idiot, all Konoha must have been able to hear that shouting. Hopefully people would think it was Sakura, not him. "Shut up Dobe. It was for the mission. It's not like you're any better – you've slept with men, and in your case it wasn't for a mission!" Naruto looked away, scratching his head nervously. "Uh, actually, it wasn't a man...it was Tenten. After training with Lee one day. I was actually planning to meet up with her today."

The world span again, and he put his head between his knees to stave off another fainting fit. Naruto slept with Tenten. She was one of the few girls he had thought about courting upon his return as well – she'd never shown any interest in him, and she wasn't shy or weak. Nor did she have any blood-line limit, so his Sharingan wouldn't have any other kekei genkai to compete with. And she was with the Dobe of all people, having a lesbian relationship...life just couldn't get weirder. "So...you've never slept with a man? You're...physically...a virgin. Shit." He wasn't sure Naruto had heard, so he sat up fully again, and repeated himself. Naruto just blinked vacantly at him. "No, Tenten's the only person I've ever...but anyway, why do you care?"

He wanted to hit the idiot. He was going to have to explain himself fully, and it was probably going to be the most embarrassing experience of his life. "Look, Dobe. You know, when a girl looses her virginity, there's a barrier? Since you've been with a _woman_ it wouldn't get broken. Maybe if it had, you'd be stuck as a girl. Like me...get it? There's no equivalent on the male body." After all, if he'd injured himself a a girl, it would have mapped onto his normal form, and in this case, it just wouldn't work. "Yeah, but couldn't you just wait for it to heal? It'll be no more than a month." The Dobe was even stupider than he'd thought. "It _doesn't_ heal. Ever. That's the problem!"

"What if you got Sakura to look at it? Or Grandma Tsunade?" The thought sickened him – Sakura, with her hands down there? Or even worse, the Hokage herself, knowing what an idiot he'd been. "They probably can't, medical ninjutsu mostly speed up the healing process, that's why they can't heal scars." It was true: if the injury couldn't be healed naturally, medical jutsu wouldn't help. The point of them was to heal flesh before blood-loss became a problem, or organs failed. "Well at least ask Sakura, she'll be able to tell you for sure. You can't just give up y'know!" Of course he wasn't going to give up, he wasn't just going to live the rest of his life as a woman! But asking Sakura for advice went against everything he lived by – he didn't need help, he got by on his own power, and he sorted things out in his own head. Maye it was a time thing, and he just needed to relax. "Maybe I need to get my emotions settled, sort out my chakra flow. I'll give it...a week, and if I'm still stuck we'll ask Sakura."

He got up, ignoring Naruto's protests and jibes about his pride. He was used to ignoring the idiot, and it was interesting how quickly they'd settled back into the old pattern. He doubted it would be that easy with everyone, but Naruto treated him as a teammate still, not as a traitor, not as a murderer, not as someone to be punished. It was strange, coming back – he knew people would see him as a heartless killer. But watching his brother die, severing his last bond, had left him surprisingly discontented. He wanted bonds, he needed them, otherwise he had nothing to aim for, no reason to live. He supposed he was lucky, to have a friend like Naruto, who welcomed him back with open arms, holding nothing in the past against him. Kakashi had been interesting too – he had half expected the man to kill him,to make him pay for his betrayal. It hurt, to think the man he'd looked up to, more than any other, could despise him.

But instead, they'd slept together. Shaking his head at his thoughts, he muttered a quick "later, Dobe," he headed off. First, he needed to get some clothes, then he needed to meditate for a while. A solution would present itself, just as it always did.

* * *

Sasuke's still a girlie! (Sorry, I know you all know that, but I just have to taunt him.)

**Sasuke magically appears**

Sasuke: What the hell are you doing to me? You've made me all talkative and feminine!

Me (smugly): That's what happens when you get rid of all that testosterone. You become a bit _nicer_

Sasuke: I'm nice anyway, just ask my fangirls! **sulks**

Me: PMSing, Sassy-girl? I'll leave you to it. **turns to readers** Review please! I love it when you do!!


	4. Discoveries

Hi again, enjoy the next installment. Oh, and at the end of this, I'm afraid I'm going to have a rant about prejudiced morons. If you're one of the nice, sane, non-offensive readers, it's not for you, because you're all lovely, so sorry in advance for putting you through it. Note: Kakashi's POV.

* * *

He dropped down onto the branch, loving the feel of dappled light hitting his shoulders before he leaped off again. The mission had been easy, he wasn't injured, and he was going to get a nice big paycheck because it was a solo mission. The trees stopped abruptly, and he smiled slightly against his mask as the village gates appeared. He would give in his mission report, then go trick Naruto into buying him ramen. Or maybe he should go talk to Sasuke, and see what had happened to his reputation instead...nah, he could leave it till after his free lunch.

#

"So Kakashi-sensei, how did your mission go? Did you beat up any missing-nin?" It was amazing, that Naruto could talk, while simultaneously inhaling ramen. He didn't reply, of course, since Naruto still didn't have that level clearance. In fact, now would be a good time to disappear, and leave his unsuspecting student with the bill. He needed to go find Sasuke for a teasing session anyway. "Hey Naruto, I think I can see an old friend of mine just over there, I'll be right-" His little escape speech was interrupted by a snort of laughter from Naruto, and he turned to see just what had the blond choking on his ramen. It was...Sasuke, or at least, there was no other reason he could think of for such a beautiful woman to be scowling at them like that. She looked completely hilarious too – wavy charcoal locks unbrushed and wild, long blue cotton socks coming halfway up the pale shins, Sasuke's old white shorts flashing too much thigh, and a navy t-shirt clinging to her breasts in a rather perverted manner.

"What's so funny, Dobe?" Naruto didn't seem capable of response, due probably to the strands of ramen sticking out of his nostrils. He decided to explain on his pupil's behalf. "Well Sasuke, usually women don't dress like transvestite school-girls...is it a strange kink of yours?" Naruto now appeared unable to breathe, and Sasuke was a satisfying shade of purple. "I. Do. _Not_. Have. Any. _Kinks_." This was fantastic, and though he felt a little guilty for doing so in public, where civilians might sustain damage, he just had to tease his outraged pupil a little more. "So it's not kinky to change your gender and seduce your teacher? I'm pretty sure it's not _normal_. Anyway, why are you still a girl? Hoping to get more?"

It worked even better than he'd anticipated – Naruto actually fell off his chair laughing, and the blush spread down to Sasuke's toes. She growled, but didn't attack, probably because the village wouldn't judge a traitor generously...or maybe jumping around with un-bound breasts was just too uncomfortable. He decided not to take it any further though, he didn't want to push Sasuke too far – despite acting like scum for a few years, he didn't want to see his most talented pupil dead, and there would almost certainly be council members after the raven's head if he hurt anyone, provoked or not. Actually, it gave him another good way to get out of paying the bill. He grabbed Sasuke's hand. "Come on, we need to talk. Later Naruto!"

She let him drag her out of the ramen stand, probably too busy blushing to react, but as soon as they were out of the crowded main streets, she took the lead, yanking forcefully on his arm. When Sasuke finally let go, they had reached the Uchiha district, and were alone. "I'm not going to attack you, even though you deserve it, because I won't win. So. Talk." Sasuke made a pretty girl, even when she was tossing her head and growling at him. "Oh, that. I just wanted to know why you haven't changed back...and to skip the ramen bill, of course. Did something go wrong with the jutsu?" The stern mask wobbled, and for a moment, she seemed scared, vulnerable. But it was replaced almost instantly by anger and killing intent, making him drop automatically into a fighting stance. He still couldn't trust her completely, it would take a lot more than six days to forget the betrayal.

"I'll tell you what went wrong. _You_ fucked me. And now I can't change back, probably for good! I can't even get used to this stupid body – the chakra flow is different, and it changes all the time!" He fucked her? Well, he did, but it's not like he had planned to, she had _seduced_ him. He didn't just go around fuc-oh, _that's_ why. He should probably be feeling guilty, but it's hardly his fault, and getting all emotional won't change anything. "So the great Sasuke Uchiha was a virgin when he returned to Konoha?" Maybe not the most sensitive thing to say, but he wasn't great at emotional talks. "Are you sure that's it? What about Naruto? Anyway, kunoichi can henge to men, even if they're sexually active." She wasn't at all impressed, he could tell by the cute pout. "Naruto's jutsu is different – not just an illusion. He's never lost his virginity as a girl. I can henge back to look like me, but it's just a normal trick and I can't hold it for long with such weird chakra flow."

"Have you talked to Lady Tsunade? She might be able to, uh, 'fix' you...and if not, I'm sure she'd know about the difference in chakra flow." The pout softened, but was replaced by batting eyelashes. Couldn't she control her facial expressions at all? "I'm going to see her tomorrow. I decided to give it a week to get good at controlling chakra like this – I thought that might be the problem. But I'm not getting any better, and my whole chakra source seems to be diminishing." Diminishing? Chakra can't diminish, it's like gouging a hole in a rock to collect rainwater – the hole never gets smaller, it can only be eroded away. Maybe something went wrong...maybe...

Ah. If his suspicion is correct, there could be trouble. And it would be his fault...well, partly. Sasuke was _not_ going to like this suggestion. "Sasuke...uhm. Do you think you might be, uh. Pregnant, maybe?" Her eyes remained closed, pausing mid-flutter, face disturbingly calm. "No. It can't be. I'd only just transformed when...I'm sure that's not it." He breathed an inward sigh of relief. Even if Sasuke made a completely beautiful woman, and a great bed partner, he never wanted kids. Especially not his traitor-student-boy's kids. But if there's no pregnancy, that only leaves...interference from the curse-mark, poison, or internal injury. However he looked at it, seeing the Hokage was imperative. "Come on, little Sasu-chan. We're going to see the Hokage, and get this sorted out."

#

"Why didn't you report this to me immediately, Uchiha? You need a medical exam right now!" He wanted to laugh: at Sasuke's discomfort, at Tsunade's irritation. Neither of them seemed to see the funny side of this...maybe he was just a heartless bastard, who got kicks out of seeing his students humiliated. Still, he wasn't one to shirk his duty of standing by his student and helping her through a difficult time...i.e. watching her undress. He had been right about the absence of breast bindings...and to top it all, those were most definitely _man_ boxers. Tsunade poked and huffed all over that soft skin, none too gentle, and all too brisk. Sasuke was lucky the bruises and bite-marks had faded, Tsunade wouldn't hesitate to question them, and by silent agreement neither had mentioned the real reason Sasuke had become a girl to start with. Still, Sasuke probably wanted it all over as soon as possible – at any moment, a ninja could walk into the office, and they'd see their Hokage dealing with a very naked patient, on her paper-covered desk. They'd probably die of a nosebleed. Eventually, the Hokage knocked her patient off the desk, and threw the miss-matched clothes at her.

"Right. You're not going to like this. I've concluded there's nothing wrong with you...but you're going to be a girl for a while." Sasuke's wide, scared eyes looked up from the blue socks. "Wh-what? Why? If there's nothing the matter with me, why can't I turn back?" It was odd, seeing the usual stoic-avenger face so overwritten by worry. She needed to get the girl-face under control. He could understand the fear though, and he felt pretty confused himself – if there was nothing wrong, why the hell was Sasuke stuck? "Well, by 'nothing wrong', I mean from a medical point of view. You'll probably both consider it a problem, and some of the other villagers might too. There's no good way to put this...you're pregnant, conceived four days ago. I believe explainations are in order?"

* * *

Right, the rant.

Someone emailed me about this fic. They were obnoxious, unnecessarily rude, and had terrible grammar. They told me my story is sick and perverted, and that if I were a decent person I would be ashamed to have written it. (And that's the nice, short version). This is my reply to them, and anyone else of that opinion.

I would like to point out first, that if you believe something is immoral and don't want to know about it, you shouldn't go reading it. Just like I don't go round videoing violent crime. Secondly, if you think it's so perverted, surely you can tell by now that I'm not a decent person, and therefore that I will not be ashamed. If you don't like the pairing or the concept, _go read elsewhere_. I will be the last person to stop you from choosing what you read.

Also, you made a comment about my age. As far as I know, there is no law regarding the _writing_ of mature-rated fanfiction. The reason the ratings are there is to protect people from getting inappropriate ideas, or misunderstanding a concept. It is to keep the innocent, innocent. If I have this stuff in my head, and written on my computer, it's hardly going to make a difference whether I make it available to the public or not.

Lastly, I really don't think this story is the deciding factor on what happens to me when I die. My religious beliefs are _mine_, yours are _yours_, and I do not appreciate having your faith expounded upon in my cyberspace. I will do what I believe to be right, and as long as people want to read my fanfictions, I will continue to post what I write.

Yeah...that got a bit long. Sorry to all those who aren't like that, I appreciate you more and more every day. Please review, I'd love to hear your thoughts on anything, as long as you don't try to tell me to stop writing. Love you all!


	5. The Way Things Are

I just wanted to thank everyone who showed me support after my rant. It's nice to know I'm not the only one who thinks SasuKaka is a good, non-twisted pairing. This is Sasuke's POV, by the way. Enjoy!

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The darkness receded slowly, lingering in fuzzy trails round the edge of is vision as he opened is eyes. Then he heard the clipped tones of the Hokage, mingling with Kakashi's gentle murmur, and he closed them again. Pregnant. No way. No way in hell. It was just too screwed-up to be real, and he had seen a  
_lot_ of screwed-up things in his life. Even Orochimaru's laboratories hadn't had anything so freakish them. Well...the things Orochimaru had created hadn't had an impact on him, so that might not be a fair judgment, but this still came close.

"-ink he needs to be kept under observation, just in case he does something drastic, Kakashi?" Her voice was low, probably to avoid waking him. Fainting was also an unwelcome part of being female – he'd assumed only the weakest girls did such silly things, yet _he_, one of the strongest ninja in the Fire Country, had fainting fits. Shy little Hinata Hyuuga was starting to seem a lot more respectable. With a mumble he sat up, feeling the still-strange pull of his breasts.

"I want an abortion." They turned, unsurprised, to face him. "Good, you're awake. I'm afraid that isn't an option, Sasuke. You're bound by village and clan law. Since you are the last of your line, and physically capable of bearing the child, there is no legal reason to terminate." He nearly fainted again, but the urgency of the situation helped focus him, and he stayed on his feet despite the swirling room. "I'm not a girl. I'm _not_ capable of bearing a child! For gods sake, what about Kakashi? Doesn't the father get any say in the matter?" Kakashi shifts slightly, obviously uncomfortable about the word 'Father'. "I'm afraid not. The father is not consulted, it's a measure to prevent kunoichi from being forced to abort a child for the sake of the household income."

It's ridiculous – he has NOTHING to do with Kakashi, except for camaraderie, and there is no household income to worry about, since he inherited all the Uchiha wealth. There had to be a way round it. "So what if I caused a miscarriage? I could disrupt my chakra flow, and it would die, right?" It sounded a little more like a threat than he had intended, and he saw them stiffen. "If you try to interfere with the chakra flow, I will personally have you incarcerated, and kept sedated if necessary. Do you not understand yet? You. May. _Not_. Abort this child. It is yours, you heir, and it is the law of Konoha. Isn't this your goal anyway? To revive the Uchiha clan?" She didn't appear to want an answer, but the matter was definitely not closed. "I don't want to _mother_ the Uchiha clan. I want to _father_ it. And I don't want Kakashi's child!"

"I think I should leave you both to this conversation. Since I have no say and all. I'll report in soon, Lady Tsunade!" With one of his trademark eye-crinkles, Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke. Damn that man, for getting him in this mess, and for leaving him to deal with it alone. Hadn't even argued with the Hokage about it, at least since he came round, and he didn't think he'd been out that long. Kakashi held some sway in the village, he could at least have showed some support. "So what can I do? I don't want this child. It shouldn't be physically possible, even as a girl!" He could tell he was pouting, but he couldn't bring himself to care – his masculine pride had been mashed to a pulp already. "Why shouldn't it be possible? You have all the right organs. You had unprotected sex. Sounds entirely plausible to me." Her voice was just a little too understanding, and before he knew it, he had snapped. "I had only just turned into a bloody girl! The female reproductive system takes more than a few hours to get going, and even though I remained in this form, I couldn't return from the very beginning! Explain that! And give me one good reason why I shouldn't run away, and get this kid removed outside the village. I would do it you know. I don't want to be a mother for fucks sake!"

Suddenly he was against the wall, lights exploding in his vision in time with the throbbing of his head. Tsunade's face was worryingly close, he could see the blood pulsing at her temple. "You _are_ having this child. And you _will_ be a good parent to it. If you try to run, I will personally wipe out the Uchiha clan. Understand? As for your question, when you transform, you can be anywhere in the menstrual cycle – it's as if you had been a girl all your life. It's what you get for using a jutsu you don't understand, and for having unprotected sex, whatever the reason." Deceptively sort fingers slid round his throat, there was a blinding click in his neck, and the world faded to black once more.

#

It was light, the kind of bright light that nobody wants to see when they have a splitting headache. He squeaked in discomfort, and tried to burrow his face into the pillow, but found his arms unable to move. "Whrr?" He blinked, and eeped again, but kept his eyes half-open, stretching his neck to see his surroundings. He appeared to be in a small, white room, with a little white table and a clean white bed, and they all hurt his eyes. White was definitely his least favourite colour. He couldn't see what was pinning his hands down, but by the feel of it – cold, hard, and unmoving – he guessed it was some type of manacle. Which lead him to his reasons for being here.

Damn Tsunade! She had no right...well,maybe she did, being the Hokage and all...but still, he should be allowed to choose whether or not he had a kid. He wanted to marry a nice, quiet girl, who would cook and clean and have sensible,practical conversations. He couldn't do _any_ of it, with a child by a man. His sensei. And what about the kid? It wouldn't have a mother, just two fathers...both of whom were un-emotion reserved tricky bastards. Did the Hokage want him to take his own life due to guilt? His baby would have a horrible life – it would be teased, and they couldn't care for it well enough. What if they got killed? Well, he would be off missions for the first few months of his life, and he could use his massive inheritance to live on for a year or so, while Kakashi took missions. But they would have to find godparents for later.

He blinked suddenly. Had he really just been planning life with Kakashi and a kid? No. No way. He would have to take it to appeal. Get rid of this accidental child before his reputation – and all chance of a good marriage – was lost. Now how to get out of these stupid restraints...

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As always, reviews make my world go round. I love you guys!


	6. We Can Work It Out

At last, an update! I'm sorry these are getting a little slower, I have christmas, exams, illness, and work etc. which have all been holding me back. I can't promise I'll speed up lots, but I'll definitely keep it coming - I'm as hooked on this story as you guys.

Kakashi's PoV, and lots of talking. Enjoy!

* * *

Kakashi stood in front of the memorial stone, trying to sort his brain out. Here where he stood every morning to sort himself out. But today it was afternoon, and his life was a lot more complicated than usual. His fingers traced the names: friends, comrades, even strangers. They had all made the sacrifice for the world they had now. His problems weren't so big. He had all his limbs, he had a few okay friends, he had a good income, and now all his students were back home. But. But now there was another. He couldn't wrap his mind around being a father. He knew what it meant, but not what it actually _was_, not quite what impact it would have on him. It didn't help that it was Sasuke's child too, and it _really_ didn't help that Sasuke wanted to abort. It made it all too easy to agree.

He didn't want to agree. He wanted to be happy, happy that he had created a little life, one that he could love and nurture. One that would love him back, unconditionally, that he could care for and teach. But it wasn't that simple, because of who he was. He was a ninja, highly unlikely to survive another five years, especially with such a reputation as he had now. He was emotionally stunted, or so he had been told – by the few women he had tried to form a steady relationship with. And this wasn't just a woman, this was Sasuke – if he messed up, there would be more than harsh words hurled: chaos would ensue, and one of them would probably die. At the same time though, he knew the Hokage wanted Sasuke to put down roots, and the council wanted Uchiha babies as soon as possible. Looked like the council got their wish...

That was it. He had to make it work – there was no way he could help Sasuke abort, it would betray all his morals. His village wanted the baby. It was his, his to protect, closer even than a teammate. He wouldn't do that to the memory of his friends, and he wouldn't do it to the village where his loyalties lay. It was just a matter of working out how on _earth_ he could make things work with his student. It had to be possible...but how to get through to Sasuke, with her so set against it?

Ah...that might just work. "Thank you." He picked a daisy, placed it in on the smooth cold surface, and headed back toward the village. The dead always gave good advice.

#

"Kakashi-sensei, you're back! What brings you to the hospital, looking all healthy and well?" He groaned quietly – it wasn't that he didn't want to see Sakura, just that he didn't want to explain why he was in the hospital. "I came to visit a patient, checked in today. In the secure units, probably." She grimaced slightly, but checked down the 'arrivals' list. "Um, we've had Kowaki Shiseru, Genma..._Ms Uchiha_??" Oh dear. He really didn't want to have to explain this to her just now. She needed to be kept informed though, it's her team too. "Well...when did you last see Sasuke?" She scowled, shuffling bits of paper around her desk. "When he was with you, in _my_ clothes, running around without any underwear on looking for Naruto."

"He's stuck like that, as a girl. He's...pregnant...with my child. And he wants to abort, but the Hokage and council won't let him. I need to talk to him." She dropped a pile of patient notes on the desk, face pale and eyes wide. "Y-you...you actually...with Sasuke? And he's having a b-baby? He's going to be a _mother_? And...shit, it was that night at the party, wasn't it? He's in room 512, basement." All things considered, she was keeping her professional manner quite well, he thought, though she'd probably try to beat him up when her shift ended. It was just lucky she'd got over Sasuke, otherwise he'd be in a _much_ bigger mess. Leaving her to digest the news in peace, he wandered over to the stairs and jumped down. 506, 508, 510, 512. Great. Not bothering to knock, he opened the door, just in time to get a face-full of soft black hair. They both leaped back, eyeing each other warily.

"So, Sasuke, out of bed already?" He didn't want to be threatening, he didn't want to deal with her running off like a frightened rabbit. Not that the great Sasuke Uchiha would ever be scared by a few threats...still, he was trying to calm her down, and confrontation wouldn't help. "Before you run, Sasuke, we need to talk." Her face scrunched up a little, but she either understood what he meant, or was just too weak right now to fight it. He took her hand, and used a teleportation jutsu to exit, then proceeded to lead her to the memorial stone, the best neutral ground he could think of. Sitting with his back to the smooth stone, he watched her mildly for a moment – arms crossed, hair mussed, and seemingly endless legs still encased in those stupid socks and shorts. "You can go first – mine'll take longer."

"I don't have anything to say to you. Wait, I have: You fucking moron! Why the fuck didn't you think to use condoms? Why didn't you stand by me against the Hokage, rather than leaving me to be chained up in a stupid little hospital room? And what are you going to do now? Now I'm having your baby? Walk out like it's not your problem?" She looked ready to attack him, and he held up his hands in a placatory gesture that didn't quite do the job. She kicked him in the shin, hard enough to make him wince, but not enough to break anything. He would have deserved it if she had though. "First of all, I thought you were a kunoichi, and they are required to take a contraceptive brew, so condoms aren't usually necessary. Second, I wasn't going to leave you in the hospital, I would have released you if you hadn't already done so yourself. And third...well, that's what we need to talk about." She nodded, still scowling, and sat down opposite him. "Yes?"

"Well...I'm not going to help you abort, and I'm guessing you've had your chakra drained so you can't do it yourself. I can't do that to anyone, not after seeing everyone I care abut die. It's a fight against the odds to keep this village going, to live long enough to reproduce, and we're lucky to be living that dream, when so many can't. I wo-" She interrupted, eyes blazing, cheeks flushed with emotion. "But like you said, we die young, and I'm not prepared to have a child just to put it through everything I went through!"

So that's it – Sasuke's afraid of putting their baby through the hardship faced by many ninja. He understood that, almost painfully well – he hated the thought of his baby having to lose family or friends, as he had. "But Sasuke, we'll do it differently. We'll be there for it, for as long as possible. Even if we die, we'll make sure it knows love, and kindness. Even with all the hardship we face, all the danger...life's still beautiful, and we can still be happy. I won't leave you, it'll be our problem, to face as a team, and if you don't want it, I'll raise it myself. We'll ma-" "But-"

"We'll make it work. Just think – your heir. It's what you wanted, right?" He was uncomfortably aware he was babbling, but it really mattered, he couldn't afford to lose Sasuke, _or_ the baby. "Just imagine, it might be a little boy with the strongest sharingan ever, and as much chakra as I have. Or a baby girl you never need worry about, because she'll be able to knock out unwanted suitors with a glance. Someone who loves you, and who you can give a good life to. _Please_ Sasuke. Because you're going to have this baby, and it deserves a better life than we had, right?"

A long moment passed, Sasuke shifting slightly in front of him, wind ruffling her perfect hair. He felt in that moment, that this was the final decision, and either way, his life would change. But it already had – from the moment he had his drunken way with her, there had been no escape from it; just he hadn't fully realized until now. She bowed her head, slumping slightly, chin on her collar-bone. "Yeah. We'll try." She raised her head again, and repeated herself, more decidedly this time. He wanted to kiss the defeated look from her beautiful face, hold her close until the tears threatening to spill from her eyes were gone forever. It wouldn't have helped though, so he settled for hauling her to her feet, and walking back towards the village.

They had a chance now, and he was determined to make it work.

* * *

Yay, they're gonna have a little Uchiha baby! But I'm not finished with them yet, there's more trouble ahead, a whole 9 months of it. As always, I love reviews, and I'm open to any ideas you have.


	7. Girlhood

Hello! I'm really, really sorry. This is so late it makes me feel like an evil person for making all you guys wait...I even feel sorry for the characters, being abandoned like that. But I'm afraid reality made a road-block and I'm only human - juggling looming exams, a suddenly turbulent love-life, several birthdays, christmas shopping, _and_ writing is beyond my abilities. I'll try my best to be more regular in future, but I can't promise anything...my life's hectic at the mo. Anyway, THANK YOU all for being so wonderfully patient, and enjoy!

* * *

His room looked blank, after the woods and streets of Konoha. The walls were bare and white, the floor polished wood, without any of the texture of the trees' rough bark, or the moving shadows of Konoha's bustling streets. There was only one window, filling the room with grey light, and no noise – just how he had liked it. But now there were other things to worry about: would the baby be safe with the long flight of stairs, all corners and bare wood? Would it be unhappy without frilly blankets and brightly coloured toys? Could he cope with being all fluffly and friendly all the time? And breast-feeding! How on earth would he deal with that, all that friction and sucking and...god, he was going to end up having the hots for his own kid!

Or maybe not. After all, that night with Kakashi, burned into his memory as the most erotic experience of his life, hadn't led to feelings for the guy. Still, the thought of an infant attached to his breast made him shudder in self-disgust. He wandered around the bedrooms, looking at various rooms, and trying to think which to turn into a nursery, then realized it would be safer with him for the first few months. It. No, he, or she...hopefully a boy, since he had no idea how to raise a girl. Ugh...his teammates were going to freak out. It might've been a better option to remain a missing-nin, at least he understood how to survive that. What would've his parents thought? He'd been the worst son possible – a traitor, a murderer, a mother. Would they have been more mortified by his defection, or by this pregnancy? But they were dead, and Itachi too now. None of them had any opinions to give.

He shivered suddenly. He should go and see his teammates, let them know. He owed them honety at least, after all he'd done to them. Decision made, he walked down those bare wooden stairs (he really needed to get a capret on them before the baby came), and out into the silent streets of the Uchiha district. It was strange to think, less then a day ago, he had no idea of his situation. Now he not only knew, he accepted it, and he was planning his future with Kakashi of all people. They had to make it work though, his child needed a better life than either of them had had. He looked up, brought from his musings by the sounds of hurrying people. A few gave him strange looks as he ran among them, and he decided he would visit Sakura first, to get advice on proper girly clothing. In fact, if the baby turned out to be a girl, he'd need her advice a lot more. Mind made up, he sprinted to the hospital, hoping to find her on a break.

#

Sakura looked up at him from her coffee, and carried on looking for several seconds. "Is...Is that you, um, Sasuke?" He almost wanted to laugh at how unsure she sounded, but considering the way the was staring, laughing now might just get him locked in a padded cell for a few weeks. He tried to look thoroughly sane, but she clearly wasn't reassured. He sighed in exasperation. "Yes, it's me. I need to talk to you. Are you done for today?"

"No, I've got one more shift, in surgery. But we can talk in here, nobody's going to interrupt. Is it about your...pregnancy?" He blinked, waiting for his brain to replace the word 'pregnancy' with something else so he could reply sensibly. It didn't though, so he settled for gaping at her. "Ho- wha- unhh? How come you know about me being pregnant?" She did the looking-at-him thing again, and he shivered. Did she really think he was unhinged or something? He might be, for all he knew; he might be hallucinating about being pregnant with Kakashi's child, and being a girl, and _everything_. Somehow the thought wasn't as reassuring as it should have been, and he would have wondered about the reasons behind it, had Sakura's voice not broken into his thoughts. "-old me when he came to find you. I thought you'd probably come to ask advice on prenatal health. So anyway, what do you need to know?"

Prenatal health? He was perfectly healthy, there was nothing to worry about there. What he really needed to know was..."Uh. Can you teach me how to be a woman?" Oh kami that came out wrong. He didn't want to sound clueless, he just wanted to casually ask about the things girls should do, how to dress and act and soforth. Oh well, it was out now, and he'd already lost most of his dignity becoming a girl in the first place. At least she was smiling at him, rather that the look she'd been giving him a moment ago. "Well, for a start, we're going to need to get you some proper clothes. Then we can start working on makeup and behaviour, then socializing skills and intuition. How about I meet you at Ichiraku's tomorrow? I've got the morning off, so we could meet around eight? That'll give us time to eat and get round th shops."

"Okay." He felt off balance – Sakura was normally shy, or kind, or angry. She was never chatty and straightforward, and she _never_ took the lead. "Great. Now I've gotta get ready for my shift. See ya later Sassy!" Sassy? What the hell was going on? And she'd just walked off and left him, without so much as a 'forgive me' or 'I'm terribly sorry'. So he knew she didn't have a crush on him any more, and he knew she'd grown up...but this was ridiculous. She was treating him like...like an equal, or a _lesser_ even. Like there were more important things than him to worry about, and they weren't even life-or-death type other things. They were just every day hospital work. Maybe that was it though – just that she was in work and had to be professional. Yes, that must be it.

Still, it was disconcerting to have her so independant. Maybe he should go and see the Dobe, try to relax. He sighed, and left the room, tired of the changes in his life.

#

Ichiraku's was not the best place to be in the morning – the sounds of shop owners setting up, and prduce being delivered made Sasuke's head throb. Damn the Dobe for insisting on sparring with a pregnant woman, he ached all over! And the smell of ramen really didn't suit his stomach this early in the day. He shifted, watching someone setting up a display of jewellery in the opposite window. Where the hell was Sakura? He kept getting odd looks, and he wanted to be training or something, anything but this pointless waiting. Maybe he should think up a list of important questions he had for Sakura...yes, that would help pass the time. He needed to know how to dress so people didn't stare at him, and how to make his breasts less sensitive, and whether there was any way he could walk normally in this body. He needed to know why girls said he things they said, so he didn't say them at all the wrong moments and look like a fool.

"Hey Sassy! Can I call you that now, Sasuke just doesn't feel right any more. Anyway, had breakfast?" She was suddenly next to him, pulling him into the smell of miso ramen and out of his thoughts. "I don't want to eat." She took no notice, plonking herself down on a stool and smiling at the owner. "We'll have two miso ramens, and a pork with all the extras." "Coming right up!" Sasuke frowned, there were only two of them. Was Naruto going to come along too? The Dobe hadn't said anything about it yesterday...but he hadn't really said anything except that he wanted to spar. The question was dispelled though, when the pretty serving girl plonked the extra bowl in front of him. "Sakura, what the hell? I don't like ramen, don't order me two bowls!" She quirked an eyebrow at him, her mouth already too full for a reply. He watched as she chewed and swallowed at a snail's pace, then answered him in an alltogether too sweet tone. "But Sassy, you need to keep your energy up for the baby, we don't want it being undernourished now do we? And before you tell me ramen is unhealthy, think why Ichiraku's is the best in town...it's because they make all their ramen fresh, and they use ingredients from the Akimichi clans. It's all really healthy – that's how come Naruto's still alive." Then she delved back into her ramen with relish, leaving him to sigh and nibble his way through two whole bowls of the stuff.

He really didn't get Sakura anymore.

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Yes, I'm making him adjust...it's called character development for all of you who want your cold heartless bastard back. After all, you can't have a heartless mummy, it would make for an evil kid.

Anyway, sorry again for the lateness. Please review and let me know I'm not shunned. And prepare for an update...someday. I won't give up on this story though, I promise!


	8. Sakura The Scary

Another installment for my wonderful readers! I'll try to get another chapter out before christmas, but life's so hectic at the moment it isn't guaranteed. Also, I'm feeling appreciative, so I'd like to give a big thanks to Gwenhyfer and KakashiKrazed, for reviewing so consistantly, and to all my readers for your faves, alerts, and reviews. You're my inspiration, and you all make me very happy!

Anyway, on with the show, it's Kakashi's PoV. Enjoy!

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Kakashi stood outside the Hokage tower, face hidden behind his favourite orange book. For once though, he wasn't reading. He wasn't even looking at the illustrations, and given that this was page 167, that was quite a feat. But the book was only to preserve his reputation, his mind was on more important matters – he'd got permission to live with Sasuke on the Uchiha estates, and Tsunade had even gone so far as to give him equal rights to the kid. Now however, he was faced with a conundrum. If he was living with Sasuke, and bringing up their child, what the earth were they to each other? Their baby would need to live in a kind, caring atmosphere, and he knew there was no way in hell he could be all lovey-dovey with Sasuke. He didn't even have feelings for his ex-pupil, nor complete trust, not after his betrayal, and though as a girl she was beyond hot (discounting the bizzarre clothes she wore), he just wasn't good at relationships.

He didn't even know if he'd be any good with his own child – sure he'd managed team 7, but he hadn't contributed much to their emotional development, and he hadn't taught any of the basics. He couldn't even remember when he had learned things like reading and counting, and he would bet his life Sasuke couldn't either. Sasuke who he'd completely failed to save from the kid's own darkness. What if his child turned out like that, all angsty and rebellious, ready to run off to enemies? The Uchihas weren't exactly known for their mental stability.

Sighing, he wandered away as Gai approached, ignoring the shouted offer of a flower-arranging contest, and heading into the centre of town. He needed to talk to all his team, especially his child-barer...house-mate...partner? He really needed to sort this out with Sasuke, actually work out what the boundaries of this strange relationship were.

#

"Kakashi-sensei!" He turned round, only to be engulfed by a flying hug from Sakura. "Aren't you getting a bit old for behaviour like that, Sakura?" He wasn't sure she could hear him from there though,his face was squashed into her...he put her down quickly. "I didn't do that when I was little, so it can't be _that_ childish! Anyway, I'm teaching Sassy all about being female, and it's an important lesson for her to learn." Still smiling a slightly deranged smile at him, she grabbed onto his arm and dragged him (and how he wished she'd save her superhuman strength for the battlefield) into a shop.

He wasn't sure whether to blush or smirk at the sight in front of him – Sasuke was standing in front of row after row of shiny silk underwear, hands on feminine hips, and an adorably beleagured pout on her features. He settled for laughing himself silly. Hearing the sound, she turned, and scowled at him, features dark and indignant. Her indignation only made him laugh more. "It's not _funny_. I'm a 28D, and they don't do that size anywhere in town, I've been dragged round every shop in the village!" His brain suddenly stopped finding the situation hillarious, and decided it was deeply erotic instead. He'd remembered her breasts were great, but that was just unbeilieveable on such a small frame...shaking his head to remove the images, and therefore prevent a nosebleed, he tried to school his features into a passable immitation of serious concern. "Maybe the shop that our Lady Hokage uses would be appropriate? They must have an impressive range of sizes there after all...or did you already look?"

"Actually, that one's next on the list. Sassy didn't want to go there unless she absolutely _had_ to, insited to trying every ther shop first. I can't think why though, they've got the widest variety of styles, and they speciallize in interesting sizes! Come on, we'll head there now." Sakura waltzed back across his vision, gently took Sasuke's hand, and started pulling her from the shop. Sasuke just scowled and walked with her, like an angry puppy on a leash "Can't...can't we have lunch first, Sakura? I'm...really warn out, and I need to...keep my energy up?" Kakashi snorted again at the falsly submissive demeanor, but Sakura smiled and nodded, releasing her captive's arm. "Very good Sassy. Spoken like a true woman! Well, almost. Lets go to the Korean Barbecue place, and refill our tanks. Ino's team is off on a mission today, so they'll have better service than usual. Coming, Sensei?" He was invited too? Well, he _did_ need to talk to Sasuke...so why not get a free meal on the way? "Sure, I'll come."

#

"Want to come to the ladies with me Sassy?" Sasuke flushed, that slight streak of red wine that so suited her spreading across her cheeks, and spluttered for a moment. "N-no thanks. I'm not...I don't..." Sakura just smiled at them both victoriously and trotted off. Sasuke gulped at him a couple of times, tossed her head, and launched into a slightly shrill tirade. "I don't _get _it! She's been like this all day, all laughy and smiley and teasing me. Me! And she keeps calling me _Sassy_, of all the stupid names. What's happened to her?" Fighting the urge to smirk, he nodded sagely. "Well Sasuke, when you first met, back in academy, she had a crush on you, right? And that lasted right up until recently, when she got together with Neji. So when you came back, she was...angry, and a bit scared that her feelings for Neji would change with you around again. So now you're a girl, and that fear is gone, but she's still annoyed with you, and hurt by your betrayal. We all are, a bit."

"So she's punishing me? Great, just what I need, a bit of difficulty to make my life interesting." She slumped back, almost managing to pull off the 'untouchable' look she'd had at twelve, but failing because her pout was just too tempting. He sat on his hands and ignored it. "It's not quite like that. She loved you for a reason, because she respected and admired you, though your pretty looks helped lots, I'll admit. Now she's got a chance to be your equal, without the intimidation of your attractiveness. So it's half punishment, half a cautious attempt at friendship...I'd take it, if I were you." "Hn. S'pose I do need to learn how to be a woma-shit, here she comes."

"Hey boys! Isn't the food here yet?" Sakura slid into the seat next to Sasuke, prodding her out of the slouching posture she'd adopted."You've got to sit properly now, you'll look horrible at fifty if you don't learn to use your muscles better." He could almost hear Sasuke's held back snarl. "I'm a _ninja_ Sakura. My muscles are toned to perfection." She smiled sweetly again, and Kakashi had a sudden urge to be somewhere else. "Yes Sassy dear, I know. But when the baby grows, you're going to need to adjust the way you use them. And slouching just sets you up for horrible backache later on."

"Ah great, food. I'd rather you didn't tell Sasuke all about her pregnancy while we're eating, Sakura...I've got a delicate digestive system." She smiled sweetly at him, while stabing a hunk of meat on a kunai. "No worries, thre's plenty I need to tell her about post-natal care, an-" "That's enough, Sakura. I'm sure Lady Tsunade will inform us of everything we need to know at the right time. Anyway, how's your training with her been going?" She launched into an amusing tale of experimentation and dead animals, while Sasuke dropped rebelliously bak into a slouch. Why was it _his_ team that never quite worked properly? And when would Sakura give him time to talk to Sasuke properly?

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As I've said, I'll try to update before christmas. But if I fail, have a great holiday! (My present to you is my writing, top of my christmas list is **reviews**) Until next time, my darling readers, goodbye :D


	9. Dresses And Decisions

Christmas is over...which means you all get an update! It's a bit of a transition chapter...so sorry for any disappointment, but there's lots of stuff about to happen! Well, sort of. Anyway, have a happy New Year everyone, and I hope you all have a great 2009 :D

Sasuke's PoV, by the way. Enjoy!

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Sasuke ground his teeth in irritation. He had finally got four matching sets of underwear, all lace and silk and flouncy frills (He'd asked Sakura why he couldn't just get two plain sets, and wear them alternately, but she said he would need them for moral support. He hadn't realized there was supposed to be a moral connexion to his undergarments, but apparently that was something he just had to adapt to). Now he was in a clothes shop, trying on clothes just slightly slower than Sakura pushed new ones through the curtain. He doubted he'd ever get out alive – he'd spend the rest of his life in a tiny room, slowly drowning in satin and coat-hangers. Stretching an arm over his shoulder he wriggled a zip slowly between his shoulder blades, silently cursing his overly abundant breasts. Finally, he threw open the curtain to confront his critics.

"It's a lovely piece, Sasuke...but don't you think you should be looking at something practical? Anyway, you'll soon be getting bigger, so you won't be wearing tight little dresses. Unless you're planning on staying female for a long time?" Kakashi sounded bored as ever, only glancing up briefly from his beloved porn before giving his opinion. He didn't understand why the man was still here, at first he could understand the entertainment value (and the free perving opportunity – he'd goggled like mad when Sasuke first came out from behind that curtain, in a dress that had ambitions to be a crop-top), but Kakashi was clearly bored now. Surely he wasn't...genuinely interested in clothes? Maybe he thought it was his duty now, like a husband or something...nah, he'd be too lazy. He realized he hadn't made a good comeback. "Sakura's the one doing the choosing, blame her. I'd rather spend my money on something I'll actually wear too." "But Sassy! You need a nice dress, every girl has to have one, you'll feel terrible if you don't!"

Sakura was almost bouncing, several shimmering garments draped limp over one arm, at his side. Somehow, she still retained the hopeful, excited energy that had left him some time during breakfast. He wished he could beat it out of her. "Look, Sakura. I need to go home soon, and this shop needs to shut. Can you just grab me a _couple_ of simple tops, and maybe a skirt if it makes you happy?" Her face fell. "But Sassy, we can come back tomorrow, and the shop won't close for ages yet, it's only half past three!" Only? That meant he'd been in that changing room for two hours!

"Yes but...but...I need to talk to Kakashi, so we're going out for dinner. I want time to get things home first. Please?" He glanced at Kakashi, who appeared casually unconcerned, except that under closer inspection his lone eye had stopped traversing the pages of his book. "Oh very well. Just this one last dress – you'll need it for tonight – and then I'll pass in some more practical stuff." He grunted, resigned to one last bout of torture in that tiny cubicle before he could escape. He wondered whether he'd ever wear the dress...but it didn't matter, as long as it got Sakura away so he could go home.

#

"Phew, she's gone. I'll see you around." He turned to walk back home, but was brought up short by Kakashi's smiling face. Stupid crinkly eyes the man had. "But _Sassy_, I thought we had a date tonight? I'll walk you home, then we can head out to a place I know and talk." Well he hadn't expected that. His stomach sank; Kakashi couldn't _really_ be showing romantic tendencies could he? Following him around through hell all day, and now taking him out to dinner? They really did need to talk. "Right, you can carry my bags then, _sensei_. Seeing as you're the one taking me out and all." Kakashi merely nodded vaguely, grabbed the multitude of bags he was holding from his fingertips, and took his arm. He almost pulled away, but decided that would somehow make Kakashi the winner, so instead simply smiled and walked sedately along beside the older nin. "You realize you're going to be asked some funny questions at jounin headquaters if you get seen wandering round town with a girl half your age. Shouldn't we just sprint back separately?" Kakashi looked at him, apparently surprised, then chuckled slightly. "Sasuke, you're worrying about my reputation, I'm touched. But really, why would they care if I'm a pedophile? It will just annoy Genma that I'm pulling prettier girls than him, and convince the kunoichi to keep their partners on a tighter leash. Good all round, I think!" They continued in slightly strained silence.

This time Kakashi broke the silence. "We're going to need to work out a training regime for you, it won't do you any good to get out of shape...ideally you want to be fit and at full strength by the time the baby hits three months old, so you can get back to proper field-work as soon as a year is up." Out on missions with a three-month-old. He'd have to improve lots by then. "Yeah, we should ask Lady Tsunade as soon as possible. Though we'll need to keep track of each others missions, so one of us is always at home to look after it. I'm not sure if I'll be allowed on missions till it's older though – don't kunoichi have to stay to feed their babies for the first few months?" He wasn't at all sure he should leave a tiny baby alone with Kakashi, the man seemed to take pleasure in putting his team in over their heads, who knew what he would deem suitable for a helpless infant? Pushing back mental images of possible inadvertent baby-manglement, he brought his brain back to the conversation.

"-ble to keep an eye on her while you're away on missions." He blinked. "Sorry?" "I said, there's a whet-nursing area in the hospital, we can hire someone, and I'll be able to keep an eye on her while you're away on missions. The Hokage might even offer a kunoichi for the job, seeing as it's such special circumstances." A nurse? To look after his baby, so he can go straight back to having a man's body? Someone _else_ looking after _his_ baby? "No. I'll stay home, and look after the kid, at least for the first ten months or so." Kakashi's step faltered slightly, and he raised an eyebrow. "You don't want to get back to normal life as quickly as possible? You have to be a woman to feed a baby, you know." "I know! But I don't want my baby in some _other woman's_ charge. It's _my_ baby, I'll bring it up how I like, and I'll feed it myself. If I'm out, I'll...milk myself, and you can bottle-feed it. I'm not having someone else's milk in any Uchiha baby."

Kakashi blinked at him a couple of times, then smiled. "Okay, no problem. I won't hold you to it though, if you change you mind later on. One other thing though – since it's my child too, and I'm the man at the moment, shouldn't that be any _Hatake_ baby?" Hatake...it was Kakashi's only child, after all. And the copy ninja was the last of _his_ clan. But he was the last of the _Uchihas_, and his clan had a kekei-genkai, which Kakashi's didn't..."I can't let the Uchiha name die, sorry. We could...we could give it both. Uchiha-Hatake?" "Hatake-Uchiha" He was too tired of arguing with Sakura all day to press the point. "Hatake Uchiha it is. What about its first name? I mean, not to decide now, because I have no ideas in my head, but which of us gets to name it?" Kakashi looked thoughtful, though most of it was probably for effect. He wasn't going to like whatever was said next. "Why don't we leave that to the god parents to decide on our behalf?"

God parents? When did life get so complicated? As ninjas their baby would need them more than most though. "Lets not let Naruto and Sakura decide. We'll just have to make a few lists and think it through between us." Finally the Uchiha district slid into sight, and he hurried, Kakashi still attached to his arm, back home. The stupid man would probably make him wear his new dress, but right now he couldn't bring himself to care. Life suddenly seemed to be moving rather fast, and he sure as hell wanted a decent meal before anything important happened.

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Reviews will be loved and treasured, as will any criticisms, questions, or suggestions. Thanks! Oh, and I'm looking for a good beta...anyone interested? I don't think I'd be _hard_ to beta for, but I'd like a critical opinion before putting each chapter out for public display. Let me know if you're up for the job!


	10. An Agreement Is Made

Wow, I've actually updated fast for once! I'm kind of doing this to make up for later though - I have exams starting on the fifteenth, so I won't have much time to write...I'll do my best to keep up though.

Kakashi's PoV, hope you like it!

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Sasuke was clearly born to be a seductress – she slunk down the stairs with the kind of shy grace that many actresses spent their whole lives perfecting. And the dress. The dress was dark blue, dark enough to match her long hair, and its straplessness contrasted with the long sheer under-skirt. It didn't help that all her bared skin was just slightly pink with embarrassment. Somehow, none of the many dresses he'd seen her in that afternoon looked so lovely...maybe it was just that changing-rooms weren't his thing, and dimly lit stairways...were? Whatever the reason, she had gone from amusing girl to ravishable woman in under five minutes. Fortunately for him, Kakashi had a _lot_ of self control, and managed to restrain all the perverted thoughts threatening to flash across his eye. He took a deep breath, and held out his arm, giving his trademark eye-crinkle. "Shall we go then?"

They walked in silence, Sasuke brooding about something, Kakashi himself just opting to eat before bringing up the topic he wanted to discuss most. After all, it would probably end in a horrible emotional mess, and he shouldn't upset a pregnant woman in such thin clothing out in the open. She might run away and end up freezing, no matter that it was still sort of summer, and a good deal warmer than usual at this time of the year. Either way, he would rather she was thoroughly fed before he started to stress her.

The streets were just flickering into unnecessary illumination all around, when he finally led them to his favourite restaurant. It was small and bustling, full of chattering diners and smiling staff, all slightly sickly-looking in the cheap orange tinted lighting. The tables were small and crowded, and the food cheap – the main reason Kakashi frequented the establishment was because it had a permanent discount to all Konoha ninja...plus the food was fantastic. Luckily, most of his acquaintances who might listen in on him were too paranoid to enter such a crowded room, so the only people he recognized were the Hokage's assistants, who already knew everything about him and Sasuke, and also seemed far too preoccupied with each other to give a damn about anyone else. A cheerfully peeling sign read Shokuka, in large blue kanji. He spared the girl at his side a glance, happily ignoring her wrinkled nose. She'd soon find out there was more to life than elegance.

He sat Sasuke at a table in the corner, where she sat rigidly straight, not allowing her dress to touch the chair more than was unavoidable, and called over a waiter. "We'll have pork gyouza and yaki yasai to start, and then-" Sasuke interrupted, all smiles and flustered eyelashes. "Actually,not the yaki yasi, I'd rather the tsukune if that's okay. And for the main, I'll have kamonan udon. Kakashi?" "I'll have karei shoiyaki, thanks. And sake for both of us." The waiter grinned at them both and disappeared, leaving him to watch Sasuke's face settle back into disdain. "Not to your taste, Sasuke?"

"Hn."

Well, that killed the conversation. He watched Izumo and Kotetsu in the far corner, holding hands and talking in low voices, serious postures belied by the soft smiles they kept exchanging. How lucky he was not to have any of that romantic nonsense in his life – even the Hokage's personal assistants were shinobi, and life for all ninja was too brief to risk attachment. He felt a twinge of anxiety at the thought of a child, one he would love whatever happened...he'd have to make sure it had lots of friends, to avoid the loneliness he and Sasuke had been through. Still, they did look happy together, and they would have a great night by the looks of things. He needed to get laid. Or at least manage to form a slightly more solid relationship with the ice-queen in front of him. Nothing romantic, just sex and housework would do him fine, and it would be more healthy than many of the families ninja kids grew up in.

"Oi. Kakashi. Food's arriving." He looked round to see their food arrive, and Sasuke's face relax into indifference at the gorgeous smell emanating from the dishes. "Enjoy your meal!" The waiter bustled off again, and he tucked into his food without giving Sasuke a chance to say anything about his casually exposed face. It wasn't like anyone else would be able to see through the genjutsu he'd placed on the table. Watching under one lowered eyelid, he saw her relax as the wonderfully cooked food hit her system. At last, he could bring up the subject of their relationship.

#

His flat looked boring. Empty. Though he still seemed to own an awful lot of necessities. He sat on his bed and stared at the wall for a few minutes, letting his heartbeat slow. Then he tried to meditate, focusing on the hum of chakra through his flesh, spreading his sensitive hearing in a net to listen to the creaks of the building, mind detached but focused. Somewhere outside, two cats vocalized their coupling loudly, but he just absored it into the stillness he had created. It was past midnight when he was finally calm enough to open his eyes, blinking at the darkness, and head to the shower without any residual tension from the evening.

But the spray of water on his skin woke him up, got him thinking again.

He wasn't really going to be a part of his baby's life after all. Sure, he could demand the right to see it, could force his fifty percent claim upon the council and win. But he wouldn't be the _father_. Sasuke would. Sasuke, and her wife. Whoever his prodigal student chose, would get to be the 'mother' of _his_ child. So, instead of wrecking this perfect little family unit, instead of foisting the weird origins of the kid on everyone around, and making its life hell, he was going to leave it. Anyway, it's not like he'd be any good as a father, he just wouldn't know what to do. Yes, logically it was all for the best, the simplest way to give his child a good life. He could handle all that, could cope with it using his shinobi training, and squashing his emotions with the practice of years. What he thought might make him slide into insanity was the agreement they'd made.

He had agreed, with barely any protest, to be Sasuke's 'house mate' through her pregnancy. Until she found herself a good enough wife. Of course, she'd been generous enough to say he could have other partners, that there was no commitment, no relationship on an emotional level. Just that he had to be there, as the father (and of course, he hadn't been able to turn down anything that would help ensure his child's health and wellbeing, not with half his genes under that deceptively flat stomach), to cook and clean when she was bulging, too full of baby to do anything for herself. He would have to massage her feet, and her back, and care for any cravings she might get. But as soon as a reputable marriage was arranged for the last Uchiha, he was pushed out of the picture. He would have to deal with that too now, having agreed so readily.

He would definitely be taking his few rewards from the deal though – Konoha had better watch out, Kakashi the emotionally-stunted-yet-super-cool ladies' man would be on the prowl...at least until he could get the images of a happy family, a proper relationship with his student, and all the joys of fatherhood that come with such things firmly out of his head. He would start tomorrow, as soon as he had carted all his belongings over to the Uchiha district. It was going to be a long nine months, but he was determined to make the best of it.

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**Hides** Please don't kill me! I didn't mean for this to happen, honest...but it just had to. Kakashi won't always be getting the raw end of the deal...I hope. Anyway, review and tell me what you think...I'll accept flames too, I have a feeling I deserve them for being so mean to Kakashi. (I'm still looking for a beta, anyone interested? I need somebody to help me sort through my plot ideas, and to keep me from abusing my characters so much. Thanks!)


	11. Living A Lie

At last, an update! Sorry it's taken a while, I'm in the middle of exams at the moment, and I'm kind of short of free time. Plus it was my birthday, and I had a load of organizing to prepare for that. Anyway, I probably won't update very fast next time, but after that I'll try to get up to speed. Thanks for being patient :D

This chapter's Sasuke's PoV, enjoy!

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Hit, hit, spin, kick. He loved the sound the wood made as it creaked against his onslaught, and it didn't matter that his foot would be a mass of purple tomorrow. He needed to get some training in, and to work of all the tension of the past few days. It was good to have some peace and quiet at last too, no chattering friends or Kakashi snickering. Just the thud of his heartbeat and the soft thrum of chakra through his being. It was too soft, really, almost down to a whisper now, a far cry from the furious roar that still echoed in him from the fight with his brother. But it was still enough to add the power his strikes needed to leave those satisfying dents in the wood, so he dealt with it. His female body just seemed that little bit lower on stamina, and like any good ninja, he would simply have to work round the obstacle.

"Oi, Teme! Wanna spar?" Oh great. Naruto. Oh well, he'd had a few hours to himself. "No, apparently I'm not allowed to stress myself, since it could damage the baby. Plus I need to get back soon to help Kakashi move in." He hated the irritation that seeped into his voice uninvited, it sounded weak and petty. Trying to make his face blank again, he turned to look at the Dobe. And had to stare, because the girl in front of him was very definitely the one who he'd been talking to. "Dobe? What the...unh?" She blinked and shimmered at him, short-shorts and mesh top surely far to tight for fighting. "I wanted to spar with you as a girl, seeing as it messes up your chakra flow and all. I'm not happy kicking your ass if you're at a disadvantage, it's no fun! But if you're under orders I guess we could just hang out, right? Nice outfit by the way."

How the hell was he meant to respond to that? After all, they were both girls, so compliments were okay...right? But they were both men really, and Naruto wouldn't normally say anything about his appearance. He decided to ignore it, and focus on more important matters. "Hn. You didn't 'kick my ass' then, I just quit because I had to get home to make a decent meal, rather than cup-ramen. You couldn't beat me if you tried, even now." Naruto just grinned a little girly grin, and sashayed closer. "Ah, but we'll never know, will we. Seeing as you have 'doctor's orders' and all. So anyway...hows life as a lady?" He blinked. The Dobe...was digging for gossip. And complimenting him on his clothing. And not taking up the challenge to fight. Something was seriously wrong here. "Naruto, what the _fuck_ is up with you?"

"Tut-tut, no swearing now...Sassy. I'm only trying to help you adjust. I've spent loads of time in this form, I understand girls better than any woman around – I actually studied them for ages, as well as being one some of the time. You need to learn how to talk like a girl, to tell other girls about your daily life, and to complain about the little problems. Unless, of course, you're going to stay as 'Sasuke' all through this, and have your reputation ruined?" Damn, he...she did have a point. He would definitely rather hide the fact he, an Uchiha bent on marriage, was _pregnant_. "Hn. I suppose. But can you be a guy while telling me? I'd rather not have a face full of cleavage." She blinked a few more times, then 'poofed' back to a normal Naruto. He felt sorry for the people who knew about his condition, it made his brain ache, thinking about Naruto's sexy jutsu form, and he probably wasn't the only one who got confused about the appropriate pronoun to think in.

"Okay. First, you need to talk right – that means nothing too macho, and no hn-ing at people. Its kind of your trademark noise, so avoid it." "So what am I allowed to say? I'm not going to be some pretty, polite _lady_. And I'm not going to let men ignore me just 'cause I'm a woman. And no way am I going to be someone with a name like _Sassy_." He wasn't macho, just practical. And for the most part, that wasn't changed by this form. Stupid Dobe. "Calm down, you don't have to. We'll work out a new identity for you...think of it as cover on a mission. Then all you've gotta do is keep it up in public for the next nine months. And when you want to appear as a guy, you can use a henge, okay? You win all round." He didn't quite agree with the last statement, but resigned himself to the fact that winning all round wasn't really an option any more. He just hoped there wasn't too much work in being female.

#

"Hey Kakashi, are you in?" It sounded strange, calling out in his own home. He never usually spoke at home, because he'd never had guests, and even when he was with Orochimaru he never had to call out, because the sannin was _always_ home. With a little sigh of disappointment, he released his henge, feeling the drain of the illusion cease. He shouldn't have used so much chakra training, he'd be running low by evening at this rate. He came across Kakashi at the stairs, throwing boxes of belongings up to the landing. "Kakashi. We need to talk." The masked ninja turned to him slightly, one eyebrow raised. "Oh?" "Yeah. About how we're going to hide who I am." Clearly, Kakashi was playing dumb – he simply shrugged and said "Okay. From who?" Infuriating man.

"From the rest of the village, of course! Nobody knows outside our team and the Hokage. I want it to stay that way, because I want to get a bride, and nobody will marry their daughter to a pregnant woman. Understand?" He shook his head slightly against the dull pounding in his head. He shouldn't have to explain all these things, Kakashi was a fucking genius, why couldn't he act like it? "Well I think that might be difficult. Especially once you start to show...And people will notice that there's a girl living in the Uchi-" "Yes. I know all that. So, what we need to do is...well, for starters, we need to move back to your place. I can use a henge to hide my condidion. And I'll have an alternate identity for when I'm seen as a girl. See?"

Kakashi sighed, and stared at the boxes he'd brought over. He didn't look entirely happy, but after a long moment of contemplation, he nodded. "Right. Only take the essentials, and help me get this lot back down. I've got space for a bed next to mine." Phew. For a moment there he'd thought Kakashi might actually refuse to help. It made him feel oddly helpless, and he didn't like the thought that they both knew it. Though of course, since the copy nin was the father, he'd never do anything that might risk the baby's future wellbeing. He leaped up to the landing and satrted throwing the boxes back down. He needed to get a list of possible wives too, there didn't seem to be many on the market any more. Where were all the hordes of screaming fangirls when you needed them? He stomped to his sparsely furnished room, and grabbed all his female clothing, shoving eveything in a shopping bag left over from the previous day.

"Ready yet, Sasuke?" He paused in the bathroom doorway. Kakashi's voice seemed slightly forced, why would that be? Probably just he was annoyed at moving house twice in one day. It wasn't like he'd brought much anyway, he should just let it go. And he was even going to have help carrying it back. Ungrateful man. "Yes, I'm done." He walked down the stairs and raised an eyebrow at the sight of Kakashi tapping one foot in impatience. He didn't get what all the hurry was about.

"Come on, I want to get done here, I'm busy this afternoon." Busy with what? He had no right to be busy today, they needed to go over his new girl-identity. "Oh?" A trace of irritation laced through his voice, reminding him that he needed to control his emotions rather than masking them now. Stupid expressive female face. Kakashi did the eye-crinkle at him, horribly carefree and happy. "I'm taking Yugao out for a film and dinner. I might not be back till tomorrow."

Oh, a date. He had said Kakashi should have dates, and he meant it. But to have one so soon, and to expect it to be serious, must mean he already had something going on with the ANBU agent. That could explain Kakashi's slightly odd reaction to his decisions. It would have made everything much simpler if the man had just said straight out that he had a partner...but then again, it wasn't actually his business, and he didn't _need_ to know about Kakashi's personal relationships. Either way, he knew now, and that was fine. "I'll get settled in on my own then. Come on."

He lifted a stack of boxes, remembering Naruto's warning to him to bend at the knees. Not that he was wearing a skirt, but it was a good habit to get into anyway. Then he put it down again, remembering that he had to henge first. It was strange really – looking like himself, but feeling the underlying female body...and actually being male underneath that. Stranger still was the way his eyes were drawn to Kakashi's shoulders and backside as he picked up his belongings. Female hormones really got on his nerves. With a sigh, he grabbed the remaining pile and hurried out of the house. It was definitely a good thing that Kakashi had a girlfriend.

* * *

Uh, sorry if that wasn't quite up to my normal standard. I'm not 100% happy with it, but I didn't want to make everyone wait even longer for an update (And at the rate I'm going right now, I wouldn't have got it out for a week or so). Forgive me? Reviews make my world go round, so thanks in advance to those who give one!


	12. Morning Sickness

Hello all! Thanks to all who reviewed and faved etc. You're my inspiration! Anyway, here's another update, Kakashi's PoV, enjoy!

* * *

He woke to the wet sound of retching, splattering, and dismal groans. Great. Sasuke had finally hit morning sickness, and by the sound of it, she was going to be in the bathroom for most of the morning. Trying to ignore the sour scent in his sensitive nose, he wandered into the kitchen to put the kettle on. It was funny, how he already filled the kettle for two without even thinking, how there was hardly any more mess around the place than before. Sasuke seemed to fit into his life with hardly any adjustments...well, except that now, she'd probably be waking him every morning like this.

Then again, neither of them spent much time in the little apartment, so fitting in with each other – Sasuke preferred to go about the day as a man, and used the Uchiha home until night fell and she could come over unnoticed. Himself, he'd spent the last week out on the town most nights, staying out late or returning to various women's homes. Konoha's ladies seemed to be ridiculously easy to seduce, all excited by the thought of his power or drawn in by the mystery of his face. Mostly they were nameless, faceless civilians, and Yugao was always being sent off on anbu missions, so his reputation wasn't in jeopardy. Still, it wasn't enough. He wanted something tender, something real...yet at the same time, he just wanted to be alone again. He drank his tea too hot, letting it scald his tongue and throat.

It was terribly selfish of him, to want his child at the cost of its happiness. He had to do what was best for it, whatever that took, even if it made him hurt just to think about it. Anyway, a child's strongest link was with its mother, so at least it would have Sasuke...but then what of its adoptive mother? Would she be able to find it in her heart to truly love a child born in such strange circumstances? He was jolted from his thoughts by Sasuke dumping herself ungracefully across the table from him with a groan. "How are you feeling? Up to drinking some tea?" She nodded slightly a him, her lovely face pale and frowning, the skin almost translucent. She was still wearing her night clothes – a long crumpled t-shirt that rode up her thighs – and her hair was in a tangled mess tucked down the back of her top to keep it out of the way. It was unfair that she could look beautiful even when she wasn't trying, when she probably felt terrible. Other women would get very jealous.

"I've got a checkup with Sakura later. You coming?" She asked, hands clasping at her mug in an attempt to dispel the kitchen's coldness. The way she said it almost sounded like she actually wanted him there to comfort her, but he knew better – she just wanted protection from Sakura's new attitude. Still, he wanted to know what was going on with his child. "Yeah, sure. You'll be using your girl i.d. then?" She shrugged at him, letting the dull grey fabric slip from her shoulder. "Yup. We should practice it before we go though. Check we've got all the details." He nodded. It would take a while, but if they were going to do it, they might as well do it properly.

"Name?" "Mikota." Nod. "Status?" "Civilian, 17 years of age, resident of Konoha since the summer." He nodded again. "Interests?" "Art, meditation, walks." He gave her a moment to continue. "Oh, and playing Go." Her fingers clenched a little at the slip-up, then relaxed as she tried to keep the feminine posture. She still seemed to flirt the whole time, biting her lips in frustration, pouting, tossing her hair. They'd have to work on that before she went public, or she'd end up with a whole new fan-club. Though she'd probably be with him whenever she appeared as a woman, so it would probably be okay. "Do you want to practice in town for a bit?"

She nodded, then took a sip of her tea. Her face scrunched up and her hand went to cover her mouth. Dropping (and smashing) the mug, she fled to the bathroom. He sighed. Maybe town wasn't such a good idea after all.

#

"So, uh...Mikota. How has your pregnancy been going? Any concerns or questions?" Sakura's voice was strained, probably with the effort of keeping up a professional front. Though, considering the circumstances, she was doing rather well – Sasuke had marched into the hospital, demanded to know where Sakura could be found, refusing to tell the timid little receptionist who she was and whether she had an appointment. After some flouncing and some surprisingly effective Uchiha glares, she'd dashed off in the direction she'd been pointed in, dragging him along by his sleeve. Still, Sakura had been remarkably controlled when they'd appeared five minutes early and interrupted her consultation with another patient, simply telling them calmly to 'please wait outside' and that she'd be with them in a moment.

Still, he was sure she'd snap at some point, either that or Sasuke would. Until then, he would lounge by the window and pretend to read. "It's shit. I've thrown up four times already today, and I'm not even a month in! I've been stuck like this, because I can't control my chakra while I'm heaving, and my knees hurt from kneeling in front of that goddamn toilet, and I'm hungry as hell. Can I take something for it?" She looked almost pleading, all her frustration showing in her face. His chest felt tight at the sight of it, half from pity and half from amusement. To think that the great Uchiha genius would be beaten by a baby, of all things.

"Well, I can prescribe you something to help, but it's not always effective. Also, you'll need to keep your food intake up as much as possible, since you're so low in fat reserves, and you're going to be using _much_ more energy. You might want to cut back a little on heavy training, but do some gentle exercise instead – walking or jogging if possible." For a moment, Sakura's face quivered on the edge of laughter, presumably at the thought of Sasuke going jogging. Actually, Kakashi thought she'd make quite a good jogger, but he knew better than to voice his opinion...especially as it was mainly based on how pretty her breasts would look, all bouncy and milk-laden. Though if she went jogging in public she'd be in danger of stalkers, and if she did it at his house...maybe jogging wouldn't be such a good idea.

"What about holding the henge, will anything help that?" Sakura shrugged slightly, then stiffened and visibly shifted back to 'medic mode'. "It might, if the nausea is the only problem. Then again, as the child's chakra network forms, you'll probably experience disruptions, and general draining of your chakra levels as it grows. It's not normally a problem, but in your case it might be hard to hold the jutsu all day." Sasuke pouted, somehow still looking dignified. "I know that. That's why I've got the Mikota identity. I only need to for a few hours at a time."

"Yes, that should be fine then. But you need to be very careful; if you're running too low on chakra, there's a good chance your body will automatically cut off the supply to the biggest drain, and you could miscarry or damage the baby." Her green eyes were unusually serious, and he saw worry flash briefly over Sasuke's face in response. If she knew how easy it was to read her now, she'd be stealing his masks in no time. He certainly wouldn't be the one to tell her though – he loved being able to see the human that sometimes flashed across the 'I don't care' face he'd known for so long. That, and it was a relief to know she wasn't thinking of aborting any more. She blinked and her face slid back to blankness. "I'll...I'll be careful."

"Good! Right, now I'm going to do a quick examination of your pelvic area. Umm...sensei? You might want to wait...outside though of course you can stay if you want, hospital protocol allows the father to remain present but. Well, this is a bit outside the norm so protocol doesn't really apply and, and..." She ran out of breath, blushing a little, the professional facade cracked at last. He really shouldn't stay. After all, their relationship wasn't actually close, so Sasuke wouldn't want him there. And he didn't want Sakura getting the wrong idea about the two of them.

He stood, and walked out, throwing a cheery eye-crinkle over his shoulder. "No problem! I need to check in on Shizune anyway." He'd been flirting with the Hokage's assistant for the last few days, maybe he'd take her out tonight. Sasuke would be fine.


	13. The Perfect Wife

Wow, would you look at that - I updated in under a week! Yay for inspiration! (Even though it deprived me of so much sleep I'm only semi-conscious)

It's Sasuke's PoV, enjoy!

* * *

He hated Kakashi. The man was never around,especially not in the mornings, when despite Sakura's medicine, he invariably emptied his stomach as the first sign of light. He'd taken to sleeping with his head under the pillow to avoid waking at dawn with a heaving stomach. Cursing silently at the bathroom's tiled floor, he lurched to his feet, rubbing at his aching knees. It was ridiculous. He was a shinobi, he should be used to pain by now, after years of fighting and wounds, yet he was reduced almost to tears every morning by Kakashi's shiny tiled floor. It just wasn't fair!

He slipped into the kitchen to grab a snack, something small enough to stay down, and to take his medicine. Then he wobbled blearily to the shower to clean off and plan the day. He was used to switching between forms now – he'd been practicing for the last two days, and he'd managed to perform and shed the jutsu several times in town, without anyone noticing. Of course, it helped that Konoha had lots of little alleys and steps up to the rooftops. He'd even managed to walk right past some of his fan-club, and not one of them had recognized him in his female form. There was the slight problem of getting a male fan-club at this rate though, since he seemed to turn heads wherever he went. Stupid, stupid Uchiha genetics, they had blighted his whole life.

Now though, he hoped he could put them to good use. He was looking for a wife now, and he was going to need every bit of inherited genius to win over his target – the Hyuugas. He'd thought about it carefully, and decided that Hinata was the best bride available. First he'd thought of Tenten, with no clan politics, an open mind, and brilliant weapon skills. But if she really did prefer girls, and Naruto had already laid claim to her, he wasn't going to go to the trouble of beating up the Dobe every day until the wedding, or run the risk that she might just not be interested. He'd thought of Ino and Sakura, but not only had they both been horribly obsessive about him, they were both over him now, and he really didn't want to change that. Plus Sakura knew about his pregnancy, and would no doubt not be keen to get involved.

That left Temari, who was too old and too foreign, and Hinata, who was a little weak but...well for a start, she was head of a powerful family. Her bloodline limit could be sealed, and once she was married the clan would fall to her sister, whom he had heard was far more suitable for the task. On top of that, she was well proportioned, meek, and disposed to like people, and that would be very important if she was to bring up Kakashi's child along with their own. He thought her father would approve, since he was rich and strong, and since it would mean Hanabi could become clan leader. The only difficulty would be that of consealing his pregnancy from those eyes. It would be fine though, as long as he didn't give any of them reason to look at him with the byakugan. And he didn't plan to give them any reason.

Sasuke opened his eyes and looked at his wrinkled fingers. He'd spent too long thinking, he needed to get ready. Everything had to be done just right.

#

"So, you have something to discuss with me?" Hiashi's voice is cold, cultured, perfectly sharp. It reminds him of his brother's, the smoothness like the metal of a sharpened blade, and makes his hair stand on end. But he can't let Itachi spoil things for him again, he's not going to be dissuaded. "Yes, sir. I am here to make a formal request to be allowed to court your eldest daughter." The Hyuuga raised his brows slightly. "With what intentions?"

"I intend to marry her." He got no response from the Hyuuga leader, save a slightly expectant silence. "It...It has long been my desire to revive my clan. I know my record is by no means clean, but I wish to atone for all I've done wrong, and to be of value to Konoha. Hinata is the perfect wife for me – of equal rank and breeding, strong but gentle, and a loyal kunoichi of Konoha." He let warmth seep into his voice, soft and sincere. "I have known her since we were at the academy together, and I am sure there is nobody better suited to raising a new clan with wisdom and clarity."

Hiashi just looked at him, calm and unreadable as ever. It occurred to him that if the trait were heritable, his children would be the most inscrutable ever, the mix of Hyuuga and Uchiha genes making it impossible to tell if they had done something naughty. Still, it was far too early to tell what the future might hold, and so far he didn't appear to have made much of an impression with the Hyuuga head. He was about to continue in his reasoning, when he was interrupted. "So, Uchiha, why not one of your old...devotees? I would imagine you have a range of eager potential brides, to chose from, even considering your...history."

"There are, indeed, willing girls around the village, but they are simply enamored of my looks. I do not believe any of them have the refinement or ability to raise a whole clan of capable ninjas, nor to satisfy my need for intelligent company. Your daughter, however, has all the qualities necessary and more. I think she could make me very happy, and I hope I could do the same for her." He thought the man's stony face softened slightly, some slight unclenching of muscles round the eyes making him look less severe. "You do understand that we will seal her abilities, so they cannot be inherited – we are not willing to experiment with fusing the byakugan and the sharingan, powerful as the combination could be. Nor will she continue to hold the position of heir, that will pass to her younger sister."

"Yes, and I am content with those conditions. She will, however, be the matriarch of the Uchiha clan, and I am sure her bloodline will help her in raising and training our children." He could feel the tension starting to break. With any luck, Hiashi would make a decision in his favor...he'd said all the right things, in all the right ways. Now all he could do was wait and see whether it had been enough. "Very well. You have my permission to court my eldest daughter, Hinata. However, I will not force her into marriage if she is unwilling, so court her well. You will receive an invitation to dinner shortly. Good day."

Sasuke bowed and walked out slowly, carefully controlling his step so as to avoid the swinging motion his female hips tended to make. Dinner. He'd have to get some more formal clothing made – he'd outgrown all his six-year old self's kimonos, and he didn't want to be seen in the trash Orochimaru had forced him to wear. It was going to be difficult, he knew, to win over the whole clan, and even harder to win Hinata's heart. She probably still had that ridiculous crush on Naruto. But he was a genius, and an Uchiha, so he would manage it by whatever means necessary.

Finally, he got back to the Uchiha district, and released his henge with a sigh. He needed to practice using less chakra to hold the jutsu if he was going for dinner, with his energy so low. At the moment he could last two hours or so, but he'd need to last longer than that, and he wasn't prepared to risk losing the baby. After all, he was only going to all this trouble for the sake of the little one inside him. He rubbed his belly and smiled. Hinata really would be a good mother for the child, if he could catch her. He couldn't wait to tell Kakashi.

* * *

Oh dear. I feel slightly evil...poor misguided Sasuke. Don't worry though, this is a KakaSasu fic, and it's gonna stay that way! So please don't hate me too much. Up next - Kakashi hears the news!


	14. Redressing

Wow, it feels like ages - my mains adapter broke, and I've only just got my laptop running again. So yeah, sorry if this is a little late, and all hail Amazon for having such a fast delivery service! This chapter's Kakashi's PoV, please forgive the slight use of Gaiden-specific memories if you haven't read it.

* * *

Konoha's streets were quiet at this time of day, serene and calm under the pale greys of first dawn. Kakashi loved it, the stillness that settled over everything, the calm before the storm of a ninja's working day. He should be heading home, to check up on Sasuke and to get some clean clothes on, to wash off the cheap perfume that hung around him. Not even the perfume could spoil the morning air though, and he didn't want to go home, where he'd have to deal with Sasuke and talk and act like he was okay with everything. So he went where he always went for comfort – the memorial.

He could almost hear Obito's frantic footsteps, racing up to ask if he was on time this time...which of course he wasn't. He was the same now...worse even, because he didn't even try to keep good time. Always, he was worse...but now he had to be good enough, now there was nobody to take responsibility. It was clear cut – both the rules of the shinobi, and those of teamwork dictated that he should put his child first. And he would, he'd do whatever it took. Lifting his headband, he stroked a finger over the raised scar, feeling the old memory of pain and loss welling up. For the sake of those who had protected his future, he had to stop thinking so selfishly, and do what was best. Maybe...if he didn't mess up, if he made sure Sasuke and their child had the best possible, if he stopped thinking about himself so much, maybe he could even stop regretting the past. Maybe it was all as it should be. Maybe.

He should go and check up on Sasuke, see how she was doing. Pushing his headband back down, he ran his fingers over the names of all his lost comrades once again, then turned and sprinted back to the village. He was still alive, and he planned to make the most of it.

#

"Yo." Sasuke didn't respond. Then again, she was asleep. But for a shinobi of her caliber to sleep through an intruder? He stepped closer, looking intently at the pile of bedding. He could hear her breathing, could smell the morning breath from here, even with her head stuffed under the pillow. "Sasuke? Are you alright?" A hand appeared from under the covers and made several rude gestures before retreating back under the covers. So she was awake after all. He sighed and watched her for a moment longer, or at least, he watched the messy pile of blankets, and the few strands of midnight hair that showed. "If you get up, I'll make breakfast...didn't Sakura say you need to be eating more?"

The hand appeared again, and threw a kunai at him. He caught it mid-flight, and threw it back at her. Apparently that was the key to getting Sasuke up – she sat up, caught it, stabbed the pillow (his pillow, he noticed), and ran to the bathroom. He hummed and made tea, and boiled up some fresh rice. By the time she came in, scowling and clad only in a towel, he had finished, and placed rice and soup in front of her scrunched face. "Morning Sassy!"

"Hn." She dug in immediately, apparently ravenous after such a prolonged session of morning sickness. In fact, she didn't look like she'd been eating enough; even though Uchihas didn't usually have chubby faces, hers looked rather more worn than he felt comfortable with. Guilt twinged in his stomach, and he mentally berated himself for staying away for so long. He just didn't want to have to think about this bit of his life, about all the sacrifices he was making. But he was going to do better now, he was going to make things right. He would stop taking so many missions, and he'd reduce his bed-hopping. Sasuke clearly wasn't managing on her own.

"So...how have you been the past few days? Enjoying being Mikota?" She shook her head mutely, damp hair flicking droplets on his mask. She gulped an un-chewed mouthful, and he had to make an effort not to follow the slight movement with his eye, down at her almost-exposed chest, where the water droplets would be running...he blinked. "-een practicing my henge in time for Saturday." He ran her words through his head again, but they still didn't make sense. She pouted, probably reading his confusion, and continued. "I'm invited to the Hyuuga household for dinner, I need to be able to hold it for at least three hours straight." Well, that really cleared the situation up. Not. "Why are you invited to dine wit-"

"I'm courting Hinata. If you'd actually been _around_ for the last four days you would already know. I think she'd make the best mother for our kid." The best mother. Hinata Hyuuga. The shy little one who used to like Naruto? With _his_ baby? "Are you sure she's the best option? Surely there's someone else better suited..." He just can't imagine who. He can't imagine anyone but him and Sasuke with their baby...maybe Sakura and Naruto, but not as parents. Surely there was someone suitable? "No, she's the only one. Tenten's in a relationship with Naruto, Sakura knows about the kid and she's over me, Ino...well, I can't stand her."

"But what about the others? There are older kunoichi...Hana Inuzuka, Kurenai, Shizune...Shizune. What about her? She's strong, intelligent, kind, good in bed, and not bad looking either. Why not her?" It takes him a moment to compute the look on Sasuke's face, a sort of twisted up look of...disgust? What the hell is that all about? "Kakashi, she's too old. And how the hell do you know what she's like in...wait, I don't want to know. I'm not marrying someone so much older, she's twice my age, and she's too...uninteresting." She was as well...but even so, that wasn't the point; he just needed to feel that the person looking after his baby was competent, and he didn't think the Hyuuga heiress could do the job. "Yeah, but I'm almost twice your age, and that didn't stop you. Think about what the child needs – someone to protect it, someone to teach it, someone who doesn't spend too much time on dangerous missions. You need to look at it from the baby's perspective, not your own." Her face darkened alarmingly, and he suddenly realized he might have crossed a line somewhere in his little rant.

"I didn't ask to be pregnant with this child, or stuck in this form for months. I didn't ask to be drugged out of my mind that night, so I ended up sleeping with you. And yet, ever since the baby came along, I've put my _WHOLE LIFE_ aside, and focused on its needs, putting them _above_ my own. So I'm _not_ going to make that sacrifice last a lifetime by marrying a woman I'm not remotely interested in!" ...Oh. He had half forgotten Sasuke's part in all of this – it had felt to him that he was the only one sacrificing anything, because she would have a whole life with the child. It never occurred to him that she might be less than ready for the task of parenthood. He should have looked closer, instead of letting himself forget that this was still Sasuke Uchiha under all the curves and smooth skin.

"I'm...sorry. I didn't mean that. I know it's not been easy for you either but...I just...I want to give our child the best future possible. I've never...since I lost my comrades, I've had nobody precious to me. I suppose I'm a little unused to caring." It was hard to force the words out, to let down that barrier he'd kept up for so long. It hurt to actually talk about them in the past tense, but he didn't want Sasuke to misunderstand. He wanted her to see that it was as important to him as to her, that hers weren't the only sacrifices.

She just sat there, pale and trembling slightly, looking at him with reddened, pouty lips...he got up and walked into the hall. "Look, I was up all night, I need to sleep." He glanced over his shoulder to see her response, but she just nodded, eyes hidden under those long lashes. He collapsed, fully clothed into his bed. Doing the right thing, letting go and letting Sasuke choose her own future...it was tougher than he'd thought, but he couldn't afford to mess up. There was the little one's life to put first now. And really, now he thought about it, he didn't want her stuck with some woman she couldn't stand, because she'd be a bad enough father as it was. Though it made his stomach twist uncomfortably to think of his pupil with Hinata Hyuuga...but then he couldn't really imagine Sasuke with anybody. Shaking his head into the silky pillow, _her_ pillow, filled with the scent of her hair, he sank into uneasy sleep.

* * *

Oh dear. Kakashi's in denial, Sasuke's stressed out...well, I may be evil, but I'm trying to keep them in character. And seriously, can you imagine those two having a smooth ride? Why not review and tell me your thoughts? (hint hint) :D

Thanks for reading!


	15. The Fine Art Of Courtship

Greetings, I bring you...an update! Hopefully a good one at that, and if not...well, at least it's not as late as sometimes :P (yes, I'm in a strange mood, ignore it.)

Not only do I bring a new chapter, but news too: I'm taking the 100 Themes Challenge, fanfiction style. There's a poll on my profile so you can vote for pairings you'd like to see, and if you especially want to see a pairing not listed there, feel free to PM me.

Anyway, on with the chapter, Sasuke's PoV. Enjoy!

* * *

He walked round the Hyuuga gardens, Hinata's delicate hand resting on his arm as she showed him around. Dinner had been nice enough, formal but not stiff, and Hiashi seemed to approve of Sasuke's behaviour towards his daughter. He'd made an effort to dress well, to talk and even smile at the shy heiress a few times, which made her blush and look away.

Now he was having time alone with her, but had carefully kept in full view of Hiashi's study, so the man would have no reason to activate his bloodline limit. He'd spent the last few days training with Kakashi, learning to look like a man again; an irritating task because he _was_ a man really. Still, it had payed off, and he'd had no trouble holding the henge all through dinner, though all this walking was making his hips hurt as he struggled to keep his walk masculine.

He gently lead her to a small bench and sat her down, discreetly checking to see that the Hyuuga leader could still see them easily, then rested beside her while she explained the way the compound was laid out, nodding his head silently. She soon noticed his disinterest and fell silent, glancing at him with a slight flush. He gazed at her frankly as she shifted, uncomfortable under his watchful eyes. "Sh-shall we go inside? Or...or I could show you some other parts of the household, I'm sure f-father would not object..." She fell silent again, clearly confused by his unresponsiveness. It was probably time to explain things to her, at least a little. He let his face relax a little.

"Hinata, do you know why I'm here tonight?" She blushed further and nodded. "Y-you are here to...to court me." Hmm, she didn't look entirely pleased at the prospect, more like petrified. "Yes. But Hinata, I don't intend to push you into anything. I believe you are..." He called up all the phrases he'd heard Sakura sigh about in their genin days. "I believe you are the best choice, the perfect woman, to stand by my side. I believe your strength and disposition would be perfect for the mother of my children. But most of all, I believe you are the only person in this world who I could ever build a life with, and care about. The only person I think I could ever open my heart to again."

Okay, so maybe he'd overplayed it a bit. Just a little bit. But he knew that was the kind of stuff a girl wanted to hear, and he was damn well going to get Hinata to fall for him. And it wasn't exactly a lie...suddenly he remembered something his brother had once said to him, back when he was just a child, when he'd been pestering to know about the secret of being a good ninja. He'd spent days following Itachi and yanking at his ponytail, asking about interrogation and tracking and all the shinobi nations. Eventually he'd got his way, and spent nearly an hour asking question after question, and been answered by that cold smooth voice.

"_Remember this, Sasuke, if you ever become an ambassador. When a shinobi says 'I believe', it means 'I want you to believe that I believe'. Never mix true beliefs with what someone tells you"_ Huh. It wasn't like that now, he did mean it. He couldn't exactly see Hinata ever meaning a lot to him, and he didn't find her that attractive, but she would definitely be the best choice to bring up his baby. She was the _only_ choice, actually, so he had to do his best.

He realized he hadn't been listening, but she was still looking at him in silence, her pale eyes wide and un-blinking. He cocked his head slightly, wondering what was going on in her head, to make her look so transfixed. "Hinata?" She jumped and flushed, clearly embarrassed about something. "I-I'm sorry. I was just th-thinking that...well we don't r-really know each other very well. Um...maybe we should t-take things, uh, slowly?"

He hoped her stammer wasn't heritable. But her caution could serve a shinobi well, and her mind was sharp enough. She was right though, rushing into marriage wouldn't work, it could end in disaster if she turned out less than ideal...and he didn't know if her crush on Naruto had changed. He could do slow. "Of course. I don't want to push you, I just want to get to know you. There's no rush." Like hell there wasn't, he only had about 8 months to go, and the Hyuuga clan was so traditional the wedding might take that long to plan. But he had to play it cool, or he'd scare her off for sure. In fact, she'd probably prefer to meet him somewhere less formal,so she could be herself a bit more...and it would be much better to avoid so many Hyuuga eyes in future.

"Hinata, would you allow me to take you out for lunch tomorrow? Just so we can get to know each other a little better..." He trailed off and let her finish blushing, and tried to look friendly without fluttering his eyelashes. Being female made life so much more complicated. Hinata stood quietly, reacting to some unseen command. "Yes, I th-think that would be good. Um...I have training all m-morning, could you meet me th-there?"

He stood and took her arm again, reading the signs that their time together was over for today. Somehow, that particular aspect of female behavior still eluded him...maybe he could look into it with Kakashi sometime. Still, things had gone well, and he'd even get a chance to walk with her in relative privacy tomorrow, if things went well. "It would be my pleasure, I'll come about noon, okay?"

"Y-yes."

#

Sasuke sat on Kakashi's bed, pulling feathers out of the pillow and brooding. He was all alone, and he was tired and his chakra was running low after a long picnic with Hinata, so he felt he had a right to. He'd gone out with her nearly every day for the past week, spending lavish amounts on dinners and lunches. Never breakfast though, because his stomach still rebelled before midday. It had been pleasant, getting to know the shy little Hyuuga heir, but frustratingly hadn't moved into real courtship.

She actually had quite a lot to say for herself, once given a chance to speak, and she was polite and modest at all times. She knew plenty about ninjutsu, politics and history, and for such quiet people, they had surprisingly interesting conversations. Still, she didn't seem that interested in him, except as a friend, and actually, he felt the same way. Not that his feelings mattered, but it was strange considering how well they got on.

He just couldn't imagine sleeping with her. Marriage, living together, raising children; all of that seemed simple enough, and he could picture it clearly. But innocent Hinata, in his bed, feeling the sorts of feelings he had felt with Kakashi that night? He just couldn't muster up an image of it, nor any real interest, and that worried him somewhat. Maybe it was just the pregnancy affecting his hormone levels or something, after all he'd heard of much stranger changes in pregnant women. Or maybe Hinata really never would attract him – she certainly hadn't when they'd been genin – and he'd just have to make a platonic marriage work.

Realization struck. It wasn't _that_, no, not at all! Pregnancy had nothing to do with it, and probably not personal preference. No, the fact was, he was straight. And right now, he was also a girl...so it was just that he only found men attractive at the moment. Which explained the whole mind-blowing-sex-with-Kakashi thing...and why he found it easier to sleep with a pillow the man had recently used himself. It was actually a relief to understand that, he'd been feeling strange around Kakashi recently, what with the aftermath of their argument, and all the time they'd spent together training. But that wasn't important. Right now, getting Hinata to fall for him took priority, and he was going to put all his Uchiha genius and dedication towards that goal. If only he knew what was holding her back at the moment...

Could it be Naruto? He knew she'd had a huge crush on him when they were younger, but coming back had shown him how much time changed people. And she hadn't mentioned the Dobe in any of their conversations...but then again, they hadn't talked that much about individual ninja, he couldn't stand gossip, and had avoided it. Well, that was something simple to start on – he would ask about her team, and tell her about his own. Then when Naruto's name came up, he'd watch for her reaction to see what feelings she might still hold.

And if she still loved the Dobe? Well, he'd just have to explain about the blond's relationship with Tenten. That would probably kill any crush she retained. As for Naruto...well, he'd probably understand.

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Right, reminders - don't forget to review if you liked it (or if you didn't!), and feel free to vote in my poll or PM me with your ideas. Bye!


	16. Stalker

Sorry this didn't get up sooner, FFnet was being a bitch and not letting me upload...but now it is, and I have! Anyway, here's the next part in the tale of everyone's favourite emotionally messed up fools. Enjoy!

(I shouldn't still have to say this, but it's a habit - Kakashi's PoV this time!)

* * *

Kakashi sat silently in the treetops, reading and watching the courting couple below him. He'd been watching all morning, chakra suppressed to avoid detection, as they walked through the woods and talked quiety together. It wasn't really stalking though...well, maybe it was, but he was a ninja, so he was allowed. And in the end, his duty as a teacher, to watch over his students and keep an eye on their progress, came before such a trifling thing as their right to privacy. It wasn't like there was anything physical happening anyway, apart from shy hand-holding, and that really didn't count. Plus he needed to keep an eye on Sasuke's chakra levels in case they got too low, so he could step in a whisk her away before anything happened. That was all it was.

He settled slightly lower in the branches, eyes skimming his beloved _Icha Icha_ while his sensitive ears caught the quiet conversation below him. They'd been chatting the whole time on their walk here, mostly about how nice the day was, and how prettily the wildlife frolicked. He'd found it hard not to snort when he heard Sasuke murmur something about pretty birds, only wishing he could use it to tease her with later.

Somehow he didn't think she'd like the idea of him following her though, so he'd kept quiet about how he'd been spending his time for the last few days. He didn't want to lie to her, but he wanted to follow her without her knowing, so he could see how things were going, and see this other, gentlemanly side of his normally rude student. Still, it was worth it,to see this other side of her personality, all cultured and sweet. He couldn't understand why the little heiress seemed unaffected, since she must have been aware of the effort Sasuke was making to be gentle for her.

In fact, she didn't seem impressed by anything. She was polite and followed etiquette, of course, but she didn't seem to be warming to her suitor much since the first day or two. They'd got on brilliantly at first, compared to their expectations, and he'd been pleasantly surprised to find her a little less shy and a little more intelligent than he'd first thought. Still, he didn't think she really had what it took to rear a child, not yet, and he was uneasy about the prospect of leaving his baby in her care. But he had no choice.

She laughed below him at some story of their childhood Sasuke was telling, bright and clear, but far too innocent for his liking. She didn't deserve someone like Sasuke, someone who needed love and care and was terrible at returning it, someone with such a dark past she would never understand it. Especially as the way things were going, it didn't look like she was falling in love in the slightest. Maybe there was someone else she liked?

Suddenly his ears pricked up as he heard Sasuke oh-so-casually ask about her teammates, and he pushed his headband up to get a proper look at Hinata's expression. She looked a little surprised – until now he hadn't heard them talking about anything truly ninja related, probably because they were both avoiding Sasuke's betrayal – and she blushed slightly. It really was an unfortunate trait of hers. And the stuttering. He just hoped his baby would still be able to speak properly rather than picking up such an irritating impediment.

"Um, my t-teammates are well. Shino is taking th-the jounin exams soon, and K-Kiba is pleased, because Akamaru is soon to be the f-fa...the father of a litter." She trailed off and blushed some more. How strange it was, for a ninja to be so...delicately refined. He held in a snort. She'd probably killed many people on missions, and seen more violence than was healthy for anyone, yet she still blushed over a little thing like sex. How the hell would she get over it if she married Sasuke? And really, could someone that delicate bring up his baby, or any child for that matter, to be a strong shinobi? He could hardly believe that Sasuke actually had _feelings_ for this girl.

"That's nice, he must be very proud. My team...well, Sakura's always busy at the hospital, and Naruto's still training obsessively. I can still beat him every time though." Huh, not likely. In this state, Naruto would have her out in minutes...still, it was nice to hear some of the real Sasuke coming through this soft veneer. Hinata was blushing again, not too much, but still. Maybe, if she still had feelings for his blond student, Sasuke would back off. He knew he shouldn't feel so hopeful, but it wasn't like his feelings would change anything. He'd agreed to give up his child, and he wanted someone he trusted to take his place. Hinata was nice, but she just didn't cut it, she was too...flimsy. And if she stuck with her love for Naruto...well, maybe it would be too late to find a suitable wife after all. He grinned guiltily at the thought, but Sasuke wasn't done yet.

"Actually, I haven't seen too much of him lately...he's been off with Tenten most days. Still, it's funny to see him all loved up." Now that really wasn't decent. His team were allowed to know about his each other's relationships, but not other people. Naruto had been keeping his rather unconventional relationship with Tenten secret, and he knew Sasuke was breaking a big trust there, for Hinata. It made him feel more uncomfortable than he would admit, even to himself. Not that the heiress looked bothered in the slightest at this revelation.

"Neji s-says Tenten's been late for training every d-day for over a month." Hinata looked more composed than ever, and he frowned. So not only was one of his students the subject of idle gossip, but it looked like Sasuke might stand a chance after all. Damn! If only she could fall for someone else, preferably just before the wedding, so there would be no time for Sasuke to set her sights on another unsuitable surrogate mother. He knew it wasn't going to happen, and the rational part of his mind knew that he would be even worse at child-raising. But the whole situation was grating on his nerves, and there just didn't seem to be a way out. He raised his head to look away from their comfortable little bubble, up at the impersonal blue of the sky through green black leaves.

He knew it was selfish and wrong to want to keep his child, he'd gone over the reasons again and again. He'd practically chanted them as he trained Sasuke back into being a man, because even without long hair and pouting lips, she was beautiful, and she had his child – maybe the most precious part of his life now – carried within her. And though he'd never admit it to anyone, except maybe himself in the middle of another restless night with her breathing filling the blackness, he was petrified that something would happen to it, or to her, and it would have everything taken away. He didn't want that for his child. He didn't want _any_ child to go through what he did, and he just wasn't clever enough to see all the possible dangers, let alone avoid all of them.

The soft murmur of their voices ceased, snapping him out of the panicky spiral of his thoughts. They were still both there, he would have heard them move. There had been no flare of chakra, so...he didn't want to look, actually. But his head turned to them again, almost against his will, and his uncovered eye traitorously picked up every detail. They were kissing, Sasuke'd hand gently resting on Hinata's shoulder. He could see the tiny fluttering of eyelids, over those beautiful dark eyes, could see the tiny smile on the normally sneering lips. Feeling weirdly dizzy, he slipped away. Sasuke could manage without him for a few days, he needed to take a mission. Assassination, preferably, or torture. Anything to get the image of Sasuke's current activities out of his head.

* * *

Awh, the big strong ninja's falling in luuuuurve XD

I know I torture them, but forgive me. At least he's closer to admitting his feelings to himself. Reviews are very inspirational and therefore welcome. Oh, and one more thing - please vote in my poll, I want to write for you guys, and it's easier if I know what you want!


	17. One Step Further

Yep, another not-so-fast update. But that's mostly because the plot is suddenly moving faster than I expected. Oh, and I should put a warning - this chapter has sexual content...though not in quite the way you might think.

Sasuke's PoV, enjoy :D

* * *

Kakashi's bed was much more comfortable than his own. He'd been tossing and turning for hours, too full of thoughts to sleep, but unwilling to think about anything because he was too tired. Eventually, he'd decided Kakashi's bed would be less stifling, and since it didn't look like he'd be back tonight there was no harm in using it. And it was perfect – snug yet light, and filled with that warm scent that was purely Kakashi. Just what he needed to get him to sleep at last.

But sleep still hadn't come. He tried meditating, and it worked, but as soon as he fell fully asleep, he woke up again. It felt like there were little prickles all over him, painless but bothersome. He just wanted to get up and do something, go out and train...but at the same time he didn't have the energy to move a muscle. And slowly but surely, he started to think again, unwillingly casting his mind back over the day.

#

"_So, what about the friends you have now? I remember your teammates quite well, but I'm sure they've changed since we were all children." Okay, so it wasn't as casual as he'd intended, but he was tired of waiting to find out about her feelings for Naruto. She'd probably noticed the less-than-smooth change of topic, especially as he'd been avoiding anything that might lead to his tarnished past. She always blushed, even when nothing embarrassing was being said. Though it was a nice enough trait in a wife._

"_Um, my t-teammates are well. Shino is taking th-the jounin exams soon, and K-Kiba is pleased, because Akamaru is soon to be the f-fa...the father of a litter." She was practically on fire now, and he almost pitied her delicate nature. But then again, she'd started blushing at Kiba's name, not the mention of puppies. And her fingers were doing that silly twiddling thing she used to do around Naruto. Though that could have been coincidence, and actually be about the thought of Akamaru's fathering skills, or she might have seen the dogs mating, or anything. It didn't have to mean she liked her teammate that way._

"_That's nice, he must be very proud. My team...well, Sakura's always busy at the hospital, and Naruto's still training obsessively. I can still beat him every time though." Well, it was a lie right now, but if he didn't add it, she might realize what he was trying to do. Damn the way she blushed so much – he couldn't tell whether hearing the Dobe mentioned affected her, because she was already so pink it didn't show. If only he could use his sharingan...but that would prompt her to activate her own bloodline, plus he didn't have that large an amount of chakra to spare. He was starting to feel the strain of holding the henge as it was, so he only had a little longer left. She didn't look like she had anything to say, so he decided to use the final test._

"_Actually, I haven't seen too much of him lately...he's been off with Tenten most days. Still, it's funny to see him all loved up." She relaxed almost instantly, and his relief that she really had let go of her crush swamped the little twinge of guilt he felt at betraying the Dobe's trust. She nodded, and a slight smile crept onto her face. "Neji s-says Tenten's been late for training every d-day for over a month."_

_Well, he hadn't expected her to know already. Maybe it wasn't a secret after all. Either way, it was great he didn't have an oblivious idiot as competition for her affections. He sighed in relief, and she narrowed her eyes at him in an altogether too un-shy manner. Now that was really weird. A confident Hinata?_

"_Why're y-you smiling s-so much?" He blinked. He'd been smiling? Oh hell, how could he get out of this without looking like a devious jerk? What do girls want to be told? He needed to think back to when they were little, with Sakura and Ino after him...how would they have taken it? They would have assumed it meant he loved them in some way, thought of it as...as...jealousy! That was the one. He tried to look bashful, and a little ashamed._

"_Well...I just wanted to know...I was worr-I thought you might still like him. And I don't think I could bear it if you did." He paused and looked her in the eye. "I don't want you hurt by anybody, and I want you to...care for me. So I guess I was a little, uh, jealous." Had he laid it on too thick? Nope, didn't look like it. She was blushing again, and her fingers were doing that twiddly thing again, and she didn't seem quite able to form words. He'd successfully usurped the Dobe's place in her heart...and now all he had to do was act on it. He gently placed his hand oh her shoulder, and leaned in, making sure she had a chance to back out if she wanted to. But she didn't, and he smiled in victory as their lips met, closing his eyes to better feel the trembling of her soft skin beneath his._

#

Mission accomplished. Of course, it hadn't been a great kiss, and she'd bolted off home almost straight after, but that didn't matter. He wasn't doing this for love, and she was so clearly embarrassed by anything remotely sexual he wasn't surprised by her reaction. The important thing was, she let him, and being so shy, it meant she had real feelings for him. Things should be great right now, with the prospect of a marriage becoming a reality, and the knowledge that it might even be somewhat loving. But the act of kissing seemed to have set his hormones off, and so here he was, lying awake at some ridiculous hour, unable to sleep.

Kakashi was probably out there with his girlfriend. Naruto was probably with Tenten. Hell, maybe even Saskura was with Hiashi or Neji, or whoever it was she was seeing. And here he was, stuck all on his own, trapped in a body that didn't like girls, and aching to be touched by a man. Why did _he_ have to be the one person who was stuck on his own, always? He'd denied himself relationships before, because he had to kill Itachi befor he settled down and now this! He couldn't even jerk off to get some relief and he was going ma-

Wait. Girls could masturbate too, right? And nobody had said it could hurt the baby, so that shouldn't be a problem either. As long as he was careful, it should be fine, though it might take a bit of practice...not that he minded, given how little sleep he would get at this rate. Smirking into the darkness at his own logic, he slipped his hands up under the loose t-shirt he wore at night, feeling round the curves of his own soft skin, feeling the different ways his nerves tingled as he skimmed across his stomach and the swell of his own breasts. They were larger now, he noticed, and it made his shoulders push backwards into the matress when he ran fingernails over his nipples. It was a bit strange, doing this to a body that was _his_, yet not his usual one, but at the same time, the feeling of his own body like a stranger's was kind of...nice. Like he was two people at once, almost.

Still, fondling his breasts didn't seem to be building up to anything much. Slowly, he let his hands trail down, brushing little tingles across his stomach, and further still, until he came to the stupid underwear Sakura had made him buy. He decided to take them off, and discovered that his thighs were hugely sensitive in the process. Sitting up slightly with his shoulders against the cold wall, he finally let his nails brush the curls between his thighs. His fingers felt cold against the skin, as they traced delicately along the centre, before he let the pressure increase just enough to dip into the most sensitive skin. Somewhat self consciously he parted his legs, all the mutterings about whores and sluts and wanton behaviour he'd heard flitting through his head and tossed aside as nonsense, pressing a pair of fingers inexpertly to the burning flesh.

It felt very strange. It was pleasure, but not like he knew it – more hot, and almost cutting in its intensity, and at the same time such a different terrain beneath his fingers. He probed the place where his slick skin gave way, but decided not to risk harming the baby. Anyway, he didn't think he'd need to, the way it felt when he rubbed against that little ball of fire. He pinched it carefully, gasping and almost overwhelmed by the intensity of the sensation, somewhere on the border beween pleasure and pain. Best to keep things delicate then. Slowly, he settled into a rythm, breathing ragged in the darkness and mind floating through a myriad of images.

Women bathing...no. Men bathing. Neji, hot and flushed and naked. Shikamaru, sweaty and panting underneath him, love bites coating his chest. Naruto, all that tanned skin just waiting to be bitten and fought over. The Hokage's bodyguards, kissing furiously on her desk, paperwork going everywhere. Kakashi, mask down and eyes closed and the feeling of heat in his belly as those hands gripped his hips and that tongue and the scent of him and- His mind went blank as his hips and hand pressed frantically against one another, head pressing back against the unyielding wall as he groaned.

Eventually, he came back to himself, muscles tense in the cold night air. He fumbled in the dark for the underwear he'd discarded. He couldn't find it, so he gave up, and snuggled back down under the covers. Sleep was not so elusive now, and he sank into it with exhausted glee, making a brief mental note to check this was safe with Sakura, before surrendering to oblivion.

* * *

Um, yeah. This is the first full on, start-to-finish lemon-y scene I've ever done, so please, please give feedback, even if it's just criticism. Oh, and sorry if I offended anybody's beliefs...though I'm pretty sure if you've read this far, you're not likely to have a problem with masturbation. Feel free to tell me anything you like about the chapter, and thanks for reading!


	18. Caught In The Act

Thanks for the feedback guys, it's nice to know I didn't make a hash of the last chapter (I spent the first couple of hours after I uploaded it biting my nails and wondering if I'd scared off my entire readership). Anyway, on with the show!

Kakashi's PoV

* * *

The Konoha Gates were welcoming, the setting sun making them seem to glow, a safe place to rest at last. The gate guards gave him relieved smiles as they checked him back in, a day late but unharmed. He was too tired to feel anything, having been on the move non stop for almost three days, ever since he saw...but now wasn't the time to think about that. He would doubtless find out all about it when he got home. His walk slowed slightly at the thought. There was no way Sasuke would be asleep this early, unless- Wait, what if she overdid things while he was away? She might have been caught by the Hyuugas, might be hurt, or worse, she might be too low on chakra, and the baby could be damaged, or something else awful.

He ran the rest of the way home, mind buzzing with horrible images and the cold clarity he usually associated with a dangerous mission filling his muscles, dispelling his weariness. He didn't stop to go by the stairs, instead leaping into the trees opposite the building and directly to the window sill. Unsealing the lock and pulling it open, he stuck his head between the curtains with his trademark eye crinkle, before taking in the scene before him and staring in shock.

Sasuke was on his bed, legs bent and spread wide, both hands working away between her legs, face flushed and chest bare, her long hair spread across the sheets. As he watched in shocked fascination, those long, thick lashes parted, obsidian eyes peeking from under them before her whole body arched, tiny whimpers filling the air as her reddened lips parted, and he heard his name follow brokenly as her muscles worked. A moment of near silence passed, broken only by her panting and the swirling replay of her voice in his head. Lust and anger fought for dominance in his mind, eventually snapping, letting him jump out of his shocked crouch to stand beside the bed.

"What the _FUCK_ Sasuke?? What about the baby? What's _wrong_ with you?" His hands were shaking, forming fists against his will, worry for his child the only thing preventing him from hurting the shocked, completely naked woman beside him. Ironic really, a small part of his brain muttered, since if it had been an un-pregnant naked female Sasuke he wouldn't have felt any anger at her actions at all. This baby of theirs was the start and end of everything between them now.

After blinking at him for a few seconds, she seemed to gather herself, and pulled the duvet to cover her bare skin. He could see small beads of sweat at her hairline, could hear her heavy breathing, and smell the scent of arousal all over his bed. Was this not the first time then? He growled low at the thought, but she interrupted before he could start shouting again.

"It's okay. It won't hurt the baby, I checked with Sakura yesterday. I..." His mind reeled, suddenly hitting a brick wall and turning to a confused mush. She had asked Sakura about the safety of masturbation? Her face was crimson, brighter even than Hinata's as she sat up, eyes looking everywhere but at him. Wait. Hinata...what had happened with _her_?

It had been _his_ name she'd cried, his face that had sent her body over the edge. Not the Hyuuga heiress's, his. But he'd seen their kiss for himself, he knew they had feelings for each other, so why was Sasuke...well, fantasizing about him, judging by her reaction. They got on well enough, treating this bizarre situation like a mission for the most part, and ignoring their personal feelings. And he...he knew living with a beautiful woman who seemed to take an inordinate amount of showers, and never bothered to dress until she had air-dried, was pull some affection from him. Especially as she was the mother of his child. But the thought that she might think of him that way was just...it just didn't make sense.

What would they do now? He knew something was changed, probably forever, but there were many possible futures from here. What would be best for the child? He didn't know now. It seemed obvious that it would need a mother, but Hinata wasn't good enough in his opinion, and now it might be possible that Sasuke would agree. But if not her, then who?

A tiny part of his mind wanted it to be him, but he knew it couldn't work. The child would have no mother, and it would be judged for its parentage. He couldn't do that, he couldn't give any baby a childhood like his own. And even if Sasuke agreed to stay female, which was almost impossibly unlikely, they'd be the worst couple to bring up a child together – two broken men with tarnished pasts. They just wouldn't know what to do, especially if it turned out to be a girl. He didn't even know if Sasuke had the ability to love any more, and he knew _he_ didn't, not without lots of guilt and repression.

The thought that he might not want to live with Sasuke forever crossed his mind, but he dismissed it immediately and tried not to dwell on the idea. After all, this wasn't for him, it was for his child, and his own feelings were _not_ going to be a part of it. Satisfied with the conclusion of his thoughts, he looked up and gave the blushing woman in his bed as innocent an eye-crinkle as he could manage.

"So...why don't I make us some tea, Sasuke?" It was obviously all fake cheeriness, but she seemed to overlook it, and merely nodded, still red and panting slightly. He wandered through to the kitchen, muscles suddenly weary as the adrenaline left his veins once more. Though somehow he doubted he'd sleep all that well tonight, even if Sasuke changed the sheets. The image of her, naked and uninhibited for once – so much more real than the gentleman he'd seen her putting on with Hinata – was not likely to leave his mind any time soon.

#

Strangely, he had slept well, though his dreams were admittedly rather indecent. Somehow the lingering scent of her – warm and vanilla and something he only associated with Sasuke – made sleep a little easier, even when tinged with the smell of arousal. He lay there in the dappled light shining through the window, relaxing outwardly while secretly trying to work out how to get through the day without straining the situation further. Last night he'd simply avoided it, going to bed immediately Sasuke had finished changing the bedding, using his mission as an excuse for sleeping so early.

He had a feeling he wouldn't be able to keep it up today. For one thing, she was lying between him and the shower, and he was still coated with grime (and maybe even a little blood) from his mission. For another, he actually _wanted_ to sort things out between them, because he was worried things might become dangerous for the baby. And he needed to know where things stood between Sasuke and Hinata, for the baby's sake as well.

With a sigh, he left the comfort of his bed, and headed for the shower, offering a brief "G'morning" over his shoulder to a scowling Sasuke. What was her problem now? He shook the thought off, determining to get everything straight later, when they were both awake enough for a proper conversation.

A moment later, water sluiced over his head, rinsing away sweat and dirt, along with some of his worries. He pushed his hair out of his eyes and turned his face towards the water, enjoying the sensation on his uncovered skin. This time, they'd get it right for their child, he'd make sure of it. And maybe, just maybe he would be able to get things right for him and Sasuke as well.

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As always, reviews are my stimulant of choice...see the button? It's not that hard to click, and it will keep me up to speed. I hope you enjoyed!


	19. Tangle

I seem to have a knack for getting these guys into horrible tangles, and they're both too stubborn to see what's good for them. So yeah, this chapter was a pig to write, because the wires are so crossed they're getting all messy. Oh well, tug the knot and eventually it'll break, right? I just wish these two were a little less sturdy.

Anyway, enough with the rambling, here's Sasuke's PoV. Enjoy!

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Stupid, stupid, stupid. Stupid. He couldn't believe he'd got caught so easily, and he was mortified that Kakashi had actually sent him over the edge like that. It was ridiculous, he should have noticed the man's chakra signature, should have been dragged out of his fantasies before that smiling head appeared between the curtains. He wished he'd never done it in the first place, because now Kakashi would think he actually...had feelings for him.

He rolled over and buried his face in the pillow, then looked up again as he heard the bed next to him creak. Oh god, any minute now he'd have to face the man. He knew it was pushing his luck to have avoided a confrontation so far, but thankfully Kakashi's mission had been exhausting and they'd gone to bed without talking. It was nearly midday now though, and he knew Kakashi had slept well, though he himself had been awake most of the night thinking over how idiotic he was. Maybe if he was really lucky (though he really wasn't feeling it after getting caught like that), Kakashi wouldn't remember anything much. Or at least not the effect his sudden arrival had had.

The bed creaked again, and he scowled as Kakashi walked past with a cheery greeting, like nothing was wrong. He only had minutes left before they'd have to talk face to face. Well, he'd be damned if he was going to make things worse by looking like he wanted to get in the man's pants. He might have been stupid last night, but now he was _not_ going off into pretty happy Kakashi dream land while in company.

It wasn't that he couldn't admit to his feelings (after all, there was nothing shameful about pregnancy-induced lust), just that he didn't want it taken the wrong way. It would be short-sighted to start something between them that would end as soon as he turned back to a guy, and he didn't want to make things uncomfortable between them. Not that he was doing so well on that front. He growled as his hair got in his eyes, and got up, quickly changing so he could be decent by the time Kakashi was out of the shower. The last thing he needed now was to be caught naked again; it would _really_ give the wrong impression.

He heard the bathroom door open just as he poured tea, and sat down just in time to see Kakashi waltz through with only a towel on, looking like a crooked mini-skirt. It was funny, seeing his face again, and he realized he had never actually told the Dobe just how handsome their old teacher's face was, smooth and perfectly proportioned, lips soft from the mask's protection. He hadn't even completed the mission that got him in this tangled situation in the first place. The urge to laugh rose through him, but he quelled it because his female body seemed to like giggling, and it sounded ridiculous.

Then Kakashi reappeared and sat down, this time clad in his usual off-duty gear, hair still lying flat with the weight of water within it, but no mask. The time to talk had arrived.

"So, Sasuke. Ready to explain what was going on last night? Did something happen with Hinata?" He could hear the slight twinge of hope in Kakashi's voice, reminding him just how much better his girl ears were. It wasn't that surprising though, given that Hinata hadn't been Kakashi's preferred choice of bride for him. No, he shouldn't read too much into one tiny inflection.

"Hinata and I are fine. We went out for dinner the night before last, and we're getting on as well as ever." He wasn't sure why, but he didn't want to explain the kiss he'd given her. It wasn't like it had lead to anything more anyway, and he didn't want to hurt her reputation or anything. He would have been fine telling Kakashi if it had been a less shy, private girl.

"Hmm. And what about last night?" There was a hint of steel in the words, but soemthing else he couldn't place as well. Almost...disbelief? But that couldn't be right, it didn't match the words at all. It was probably just his nervousness feeding his imagination. He still didn't know how to explain everything without telling the truth. But...surely the truth wasn't so bad? He wasn't sure what it was he kept avoiding, but logically, he had nothing to be ashamed of. He'd just have to come out and say it. Easy.

"I'm suffering with some hormone imbalances. Sakura said that was a safe way to take care of them and...well the rest is history." Okay, so he hadn't mentioned that it had been his own idea, and he'd only gone to Sakura for advice the next day, but it was close enough.

After all, he didn't want Kakashi to think he was being reckless with the baby's safety, and he didn't want the man to think it might be something more than pure, biological release. Which it was, because why else would it be Kakashi he found so attractive? Obviously it was something to do with the fact he was the closest available male, and maybe also because he was the baby's father. That was all that marked him out from other men.

"...Very well. I'll be out most nights this week anyway, I've got some catching up to do..." It was funny, how much Kakashi's face showed when it was uncovered – his lips were smirking slightly, mocking something, but his eyes looked bright and happy. Stupid idiot was probably planning to 'catch up' with that ANBU girl. He fought down a surge of jealousy at the thought of Kakashi getting laid, and bit his lip to hide a pout.

His situation was really starting to get annoying now, cut off from everyone (even though he couldn't stand most of them) except his team, and constantly drained by using his chakra to keep up a pretense of normality. And it just wasn't fair that Kakashi got to go off anywhere whenever he wanted, a free man most of the day, and a lucky one most nights going by his regular absences. Someone waiting when he got back from missions, who wanted him for who he was, stupid pervert and all, while dutiful Hinata was all he had, and she didn't really know anything about him. He missed his natural ability, the way he could once stand toe-to-toe with Itachi and win, the thrill of adrenaline through his veins during battle.

Kakashi had all of that still, and what was he left with? A child in him, and marriage to a girl he might never really care about, and a weaker body, and dreams full of _men_. He really hated the way things stood, but there was just no way round it.

He held back a growl of frustration, and tossed his hair out of his eyes once more. He really should buy some hair ties after seeing Hinata before it drove him mad. He should try kissing her again too, see if he could work out some of the tension still thrumming through his thighs. If he closed his eyes it might even seem like a man, like those silky lips Kakashi hid. And of course, it would help encourage her to actually make a decision on their marriage. He finished off his tea and stood.

"I'm out with Hinata all day, see you tomorrow." He headed for the shower, carefully avoiding eye contact with Kakashi and cutting off any chance of further conversation as he wondered if he'd have time to get off in the shower before he headed out. It shouldn't take long after sitting in front of that face. It seemed more attractive now than when he'd seen it previously, not blurred by alcohol and lust, and illuminated by bright daylight. Yeah, he'd definitely find it easy to work off his frustrations today.

* * *

And yet again I've cheated you guys out of a nice, smooth confession. Nope, Sassy girl's still firmly in denial, and she wants to stay there. But sexual frustration is a powerful foe to teenagers...just as reviews are powerful motivators to me! (hint hint)


	20. Intruding

Oh my god. I can barely believe it - this fic has hit 20 chapters, and 100 reviews! To think it started life as a little one-shot...I'm amazed. I want to thank all of you wonderful people who have reviewed, you guys are what keeps this fic going, and I love you all to bits! Also, thanks to all those silent readers, those of you who've faved and alerted this story, you guys rock too. It really means a lot to me to know my twisted mind can produce something worth reading, and I love all the feedback I get :D

Anyway, on with the story - Kakashi's PoV.

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The silence of the kitchen was broken only by the sound of water hitting flesh, as Kakashi sighed and tried to work out what had gone wrong in their talk and why. It had gone wrong right from the start really. He'd been relying on Sasuke telling him _something_ about Hinata, even if it was watered down; he'd expected some kind of bitterness or sadness. Otherwise why would Sasuke be thinking about him and not the Hyuuga girl?

Ugh, he needed to think it through properly, without going frantic over all the little details. He was probably missing something obvious, and that was why it didn't make sense. Right, what did he know for certain?

He knew Sasuke was pregnant, and intended to marry Hinata. He knew they'd kissed. He knew Sasuke wasn't being entirely honest with him about it for some reason. He knew he'd agreed to step out of his child's life, and he knew he...didn't actually want to. He knew Sasuke masturbated, possibly with him in mind, but apparently didn't want a relationship. And he knew he had feelings for her...well, possibly. But nothing too strong. And anyway, that wasn't going to help him understand Sasuke, so he could ignore it.

It still didn't add up. He needed to know more, and Sasuke didn't seem to want to tell him. It might be that she'd picked up on his distaste for Hinata as a wife, or it could be something else entirely. The second option was more irritating, because it didn't answer any of his questions, but it was more likely the truth – Sasuke had never been one to spare a person's feelings, in fact he'd been blunt to the point of rudeness since they met – and it might end up making more sense. Now all he had to do was find out the reason. Maybe he'd be able to find out more from Hinata...after all, she probably wouldn't be suspicious of a teacher taking an interest in his pupil's love-life. Though it could be quite disturbing if there was more going on between them that he'd missed while out on his mission.

Maybe he'd just follow them around again and see what he could find from observation. Satisfied with his plans for the day, he pulled his mask up and wandered out, closing the door just as he heard the shower stop. Then with a quick burst of chakra he climbed to the rooftop, and settled down to wait for his quarry to appear.

#

"Goodbye Sasuke, I'll s-see you to-tomorrow." He held back a growl as Sasuke gave the blushing girl a rare smile. They'd been horribly sweet all morning, and Sasuke was being so _tender_ with the Hyuuga girl, like she really meant a lot to him. At least they hadn't kissed again, between Sasuke's absurd gentlemanly behavior and Hinata's careful avoidance of anything inappropriate, they still did nothing more than hold hands. But it still made him itch to pull her away and take her place.

He avoided thinking too much about the way his old student effected him, it didn't make quite enough sense. Especially as he - she - was henged to look like a man. After all, he had only ever been attracted to women. And it wasn't like he'd had any interest in Sasuke before she'd got pregnant with his child, so it was probably just carried over from that. After all, even looking like a man, he knew there was a little clump of cells within that toned stomach that were _his_, and that was bound to make a guy possessive. Right?

Damn it, they'd both disappeared. Some stalker he was, he'd let his concentration slip. This mess was really starting to affect his abilities now, and if he didn't start getting it under control he'd be unreliable on missions. So what did he need to do to sort this out? Oh yes, follow the Hyuuga girl. He leaped across to the roof of the restaurant he'd been spying on, then headed along the way she must've gone. Bah. It would be easier to just...he bit his thumb and pulled out a scroll. Poof.

"Yo, Pakkun." The little dog looked up at him and cocked an ear. "I need you to find someone for me. A female, a Hyuuga. She should have traces of Sasuke's scent on her, and she left here less than five minutes ago." Pukkun blinked a few times, flared his nostrils in a slightly disrespectful manner, and jumped down to the street. He leaped down immediately behind, nearly landing on the poor animal before following the invisible path of scent Hinata had left.

Only a minute later, he caught sight of her, and dismissed Pakkun with an absentminded hand-signal. She walked quickly to the training fields, brushing at her clothes and hair absentmindedly with a small smile on her face. Then, just as she reached the forest's edge, there was a rustle in the bushes and he nipped out of sight just in time to avoid being seen by Kiba and his huge dog. He blinked, frowned and blinked again, pushing his headband to get better look. Surely Hinata hadn't just run into the dog-nin's arms?

The pair broke apart soon enough for it to be innocent, but he was still intrigued, knowing Hinata wasn't like that with Sasuke. Using just the faintest trace of chakra to suppress his scent, he followed them to their training grounds, watching every part of their body language and comparing it to that he'd seen last time he spied on the heiress. She wasn't the same now as she had been with Sasuke – no longer as diminutive, and rather more relaxed. The Inuzuka though...he was interesting.

He walked just a little too close, with Akamaru on the girl's other side, and despite wild gesturing reminiscent of Naruto, he kept his head turned slightly towards his teammate. Maybe it was nothing, but they seemed comfortable enough together for him to hope.

The strange thing was, when they reached the training area (a small clearing Kakashi knew well, having trained there himself as a genin), there was nobody else present. And it didn't seem right for the Aburame to be late. Kurenai maybe, since she had a young child, but Shino? Oh well, he could wait. He settled down in the trees opposite the two, too far away to be heard or seen by the dog-nin, but not too far for Obito's sharingan to read their lips, at least while their heads are turned his way.

On a mission? Oh, that must be Shino and Kurenai he meant. Interesting that it made Hinata blush...not that it was so rare for her. She saw Sasuke, went out for lunch, blah blah. He knew that anyway. Ah, but he didn't know Kiba would...snarl, or growl, or whatever it was he was doing with his teeth bared like that. He was shaking his head now, fists clenched and face to the ground but he couldn't read the boy's lips like that, dammit. Carefully he crept closer, making sure to be absolutely silent.

"...know that's what your father wants but what about what you want? I know you don't love him, I know...I don't know what to do. I just want...I want a chance for us, you know? Your father can go hang for all I care, because I love you, and I don't want you spending your life chained to that traitorous fucking Uchiha." Well. That certainly cleared a few things up. And from the way Hinata looked, standing straight and tall, eyes flashing white fire and fists clenched, it was important to her too.

"Stop it Kiba! I won't be chained to him, I'll be free. I've got to get away from father, and I don't care _what_ I have to do. I don't want things to be as they are, but you know _damn_ well that there's nothing I can do to change my father's mind!" Wow..he never thought the shy little Hyuuga girl could be so scary. She hadn't stuttered once! But desperation changed people, and it had been strong in her voice. He could see that the dog-nin was less surprised than him, though he looked thoroughly cowed even so. Maybe this was a long running argument?

"Please, Hina, please. Just...I don't know. I'll do anything, anything at all, but _please_ don't let yourself be forced to marry that guy. We could run away, or appeal to the Hokage, or anything! We could have a child, and then he would be bound by honor to let me marry you. I know I'm not good enough for him, but please, just let me try. I'll make jounin, and I'll support you and I'll prove to him I can treat you like a princess. Just...hold out another few weeks. Until I take the jounin exam. And if I fail...then marry him, if you must. But give me a chance, Hinata, just one chance." He could feel a blush on his own face now, feeling like an intruder for watching the poor boy plead. Well, he was an intruder, but still...it was only for information gathering purposes that he'd come, and everything seemed embarrassingly raw, too private for his ears.

"Okay. I'll wait. I'm sorry for shouting Kiba, I just...well, it's hard. I'll love you either way, but I hope...I hope more than anything that it's enough to change his mind." At last, a confession! But what the hell should he do now? He couldn't just tell Sasuke, that would mean admitting that he'd been stalking the two of them, that he knew about that kiss, that he actually cared. He had time though, he could wait until Kiba's exams were closer, and think up a cover story in the meantime. And if the kid _did_ make jounin, he might never have to mention it at all. Maybe if he stayed a bit longer he could find out the exact dates of the test...

Oh god, and now they were kissing. Why did he always catch people kissing when the sharingan was exposed? Though it was nice to know that the Hyuuga heiress hadn't been kissing Sasuke with any real feeling, at least not in comparison to now. They looked like they were about to rip each other's clothes...off. He pulled his headband back down hurriedly, and moved out. Porn was one thing, but peeking on horny teenagers? He wasn't _that_ perverted. And it wasn't like they were going to be doing much talking anyway.

* * *

Oh dear, and now there's even more chaos. What fun! Sorry if anybody has a problem with KibaHina, it just fits rather nicely here and...well I like them, so there! I was also wondering about doing a tiny little sidefic with them, what do you think?

Thanks again for the support guys, you're all wonderful!


	21. Alone With Baby

Another chapter! Apologies in advance for the lack of dialogue, I got sucked into Sasuke's thoughts, and he wanted to angst and brood...so I let him. Enjoy!

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There was dust in the room, thick layers of it that made his nose scrunch and his stomach churn. But he had a job to do, bothersome though it was, and he was damned if morning sickness would get the better of him today. He was still a ninja after all, and a deadly one at that. He could handle a bad smell, and he _would_ keep his nausea under control.

If only he could have got Kakashi to come along too, or Hinata even, if he could have thought up some plausible reason for her. It would be much easier if he had somebody he could send in while he waited outside. But Kakashi was being weird – spending nearly half his time out on missions, and disappearing most afternoons until the next morning. He looked all _happy_ too, which was really irritating, and he kept hanging around the ANBU administrative buildings, probably spending time with his girlfriend. Stupid man.

Hinata was being annoying too. She had extra training on at the moment, because her teammate was taking the jounin exams and she needed to help him. It rankled to know that Kiba held a higher rank than him, and probably always would, considering his 'traitor' status.

Actually, he was annoyed with pretty much everything right now, and the world seemed to be having a great laugh at his expense. The fact his father's study was both moldy and dark only served to confirm the impression. Though at least holding back the contents of his stomach distracted him from the unnerving familiarity of the room. He'd got used to living in Kakashi's modern apartment, and now he was back in all that stifling tradition, even worse than his current house, with memories in every speck of dust. It wasn't just the smell of the room that made him queasy.

He wouldn't have returned by choice, but Sakura had said it was vital for him to dig up the family history so she would be able to check for abnormal chakra development and genetic disorders. The last thing he wanted was to risk anything going wrong with this child after it had put him through all this trouble. This baby had to be perfect.

Finally, his stomach's protests won out over the residual traces of reverence from his upbringing, and he simply wrenched the time-weakened doors off all the filing cabinets, coughing and trying not to retch at the stench of old paper and damp.

For a moment he bent over, feeling the tiny press of the baby against his muscles as he flexed...or maybe it was just his imagination. After all, it wasn't supposed to be any bigger than his little finger at the moment. Slowly, he stood again, too concerned with holding the contents of his stomach in to feel any sense of achievement, and grabbed all the scrolls he could hold. He'd rather read them outside.

#

He glared at the plastic cup of ramen, and steadfastly ignored the enticing tendrils of steam that kept wafting towards him. There was still a minute to go, and then another for it to cool, and then...he scowled even more. Then he would eat it.

It wasn't that he wanted to. Well, maybe it was in part (though that wasn't him really, that was just his body), but mainly it was that Sakura had ordered him – _ordered_ – to give in to any cravings he might have. Apparently it was his body telling him what it needed, and he couldn't risk denying it or it might damage the baby. He snorted with derision, but only succeeded in drawing more of the suddenly delicious smell into his nostrils. Why did it have to be _ramen_ of all things? He wished he'd skipped his appointment with Sakura now, then he wouldn't have to demean himself by giving in to petty wants. It felt positively shameful to do something purely because he felt like it, and it weakened his self-control.

The room filled up with a high pitched bleeping, and he transfered his glare to the little timer before slowly, calmly, turning it off. At least he was allowed self discipline there. He wouldn't allow a single outward sign of his annoyance show, not even now, with nobody watching him.

Still, the noodles were delicious.

He slurped as quietly as possible, thinking over the appointment. It had been rather tense, partly because he just felt irritable, and partly because he didn't feel comfortable being female in public – recently he'd been using the henge whenever he was with Hinata, and at other times too, so as to appear normal to anybody watching. And Sakura had poked him and searched around in him, unbalancing him with her chakra, and made him listen to far more information than he really wanted to know about blood vessels and muscle development. Though it was interesting to know that in a few weeks they'd be able to find out its gender.

He wasn't sure what he'd prefer any more. He'd thought a boy originally, but that was before he'd decided to marry Hinata. Now, he felt undecided. After all, a girl would be brought up mostly by Hinata, and he wouldn't have too much to do with it, so he could still take missions. And if it was a boy...well what if it looked like Kakashi? He didn't know what he'd do then. Plus if it was a girl she wouldn't have such strong pressures on her to become a ninja, and he was suddenly worried that a boy-baby would end up like him whatever he did. It was out of his hands, but either option seemed to have more downsides than the other.

There was also the problem of its slightly accelerated development. Sakura hadn't been surprised the eyes had formed more fully than most babies, because the Uchiha records showed this was common in children who activated their sharingan. But it seemed to be forming _all_ its chakra pathways faster than usual, and Kakashi hadn't bothered to come along to the appointment, so they weren't sure if it was normal. It didn't help that it was only the second ninja pregnancy Sakura had been assigned to, and she didn't have any more ideas than him.

It all came back to Kakashi though; the man had been practically avoiding him, and they hadn't had a chance to talk or train. The jerk. The idiot had knocked him up, yet he didn't even want to know about his own kid! What if it wasn't just some weird Hatake thing, what if their child had a problem? It was Kakashi's fault he felt so worried.

He knew Kakashi had larger chakra reserves than he did, but what if it was small compared to the rest of his clan? If that was the case, then the baby could have a massive chakra center forming, and drain him so low on chakra that he'd miscarry or damage it, and it would be _Kakashi's_ fault for not bloody paying enough attention to him. It was their baby, both of theirs, and they should take responsibility for it together!

He pushed the last of his ramen away, suddenly sickened by the smell. He just wanted to lie down and not think about the kid any more. Huh. It wouldn't even be an 'it' for much longer, it would be a he or a she and somehow that made everything more real. He really was pregnant, and it was going to be _his_ 'it', and he had to look after it and feed it and protect it and he had no idea where to start.

The bed looked warm, a lopsided rectangle of light on it from the afternoon sun. He lay down and buried his face in the pillow, replacing the scent of ramen with that perfect Kakashi smell, so much nicer than dust and filth and food. Maybe when he got back from his latest mission it would be okay again. Well, as okay as it had been in the first place.

Hinata would be back to normal soon too, once the jounin exams were over. It would all be back to normal. He'd get to train with Kakashi, eat out with Hinata, and hopefully get over this funny development in the baby. Then...he'd get back to the whole marriage business, and things would settle down again.

Everything would be okay in the end.

* * *

Yes, I am aware that Sasuke's thoughts are slightly silly. He's low on chakra, in mid mood-swing, and being thoroughly irrational. Plus he's in denial still...poor boy. Blame it on the baby!


	22. Realization

Ta-da! I managed to update on time...barely. It was a bit of a tricky chapter to write, and I really hope that hasn't effected the quality, so sorry in advance if it's a little unpolished.

Anyway, Kakashi's PoV. Enjoy!

* * *

Kakashi arrived home to unnerving quiet. It was only a little past lunchtime, so why the hell wasn't Sasuke around? Wait...she'd had an appointment with Sakura about the baby today, this morning. Maybe she was still there. But if she was still there then there had to be something wrong, and he should have been with her and not out on a mission. and what if the baby was hurt or damaged somehow? She might be totally terrified, and it was all his fault for not being there.

Suddenly a muffled sound broke through his frantic thoughts from the bedroom. Then silence again...but he could feel her chakra now, faint and hardly there. She must be asleep, though why she would be sleeping mid-afternoon he didn't know. Relief filtered slowly through him, and he crept quietly into his bedroom.

She was on his bed again, as she always seemed to be these days. She probably slept in it more nights than he did, and she certainly got off there more than he did. Irritation warred with lust and a sense of smugness at that thought but he shook them all off with the ease of a lifetime's practice, and neared the bed to wake her. Then he paused, unable to look away from her face – it was pale and calm, but covered with glistening tear tracks, more trailing slowly over her skin as he watched, even though her eyes were closed and her chakra lying dormant. What had happened to make her cry in her sleep?

He didn't know whether to wake her, or just to escape and pretend he didn't see. But he couldn't do either, he just stood there watching as his pillow went from white to grey in a little pool of dampness around her head, and dried tracks sparkled with salt. His brain seemed to have stopped, and all he was aware of was her, and the feeling of...too many things to separate out, all swimming around in his gut.

Then she shifted, one slim wrist sliding across inky black hair, and he was slipping back into the hall, across to the safety of the kitchen. Anything to make the feelings washing through him ease, anything to forget that the thought of her unhappy hurt him; really hurt, all guilty and twisted up and grieving inside.

He didn't want feelings that strong again, not when everybody he cared about had to die eventually. But he'd already let her in, when she was just the loner brat with fire-jutsu and an attitude problem. He'd taught Sasuke his only original technique, fought to bring him home when he left for Orochimaru, fallen for the feel of her legs wrapped round him when she returned. He couldn't list all the ways she had affected him, there were just too many, and he had no idea who he would be without her in his life.

He blinked as the realization drifted into him, soft but clear. He loved her.

He didn't know which one he loved more, and the fact they were the same person only made things harder. He almost laughed aloud at the thought – in love with the memory of a young boy, and a woman who wanted to marry somebody else. He'd never loved anybody like this before, and now he loved two people who didn't exist. He hadn't the slightest idea why it should be her, rather than someone ordinary, a woman, an adult, someone without such a horrific past. But at the same time, it made a twisted sort of sense that he would fall for the only person he could never have.

A floorboard creaked, interrupting his self-mocking thoughts, and Sasuke appeared in the kitchen. She looked odd, pale and wan but also rather angry. He tried smiling, ignoring the little part of his brain that was warning him to run before he really let himself get hurt.

He almost certainly couldn't get through this un-scarred, but his heart was already scarred by his past, and he could risk another wound for her sake. Even knowing she would break his heart didn't deter him, because it was much more important to find out what had made her cry, to be there for her, and to _stop_ staring at the patch of pale skin where her top rode up over her hips.

"So. You're back." She didn't sound happy at all. She sounded tired and angry and small all at the same time, and he wanted to take her in his arms, to tell her everything would be alright. But she wouldn't want that, and he wanted to pretend he had a chance a little longer. As long as he didn't tell her, he couldn't be rejected.

"Yes. I had a mission. How are you?" Great. Now he sounded like an inane schoolboy trying to make small talk with his first crush. Well, he sort of was, apart from the age. Only this situation was a lot more complicated, not least because of the baby, and it risked so much more.

"I'm fine. The baby might not be though. I saw Sakura earlier for a checkup, and it's developing too fast, and it might hurt me, and it's going to have way too much chakra, and what if it's a boy and he's made to fight because he'll be a genius and then they'll make him take dangerous missions and he'll die and, and..." She made a very inelegant choking noise, and suddenly he had an armful of hysterical, pliant, curvy woman. Not to mention a sudden rush of blood to his groin. He tried to pat her head and be reassuring in an un-perverted way, but he didn't think he managed terribly well.

"Hush Sassy, shhh now. It's not going to be like that. We'll make sure you and our baby are both healthy. and we won't make it become a ninja unless it wants to, I promise. I'll protect you both and it will all be fine." She carried on sobbing, so he carried on murmuring, rambling quietly about how nice everything would be, and holding her as close as he dared while her breath settled back to its normal rhythm, instead of that horrible shaky sound.

"Kakashi? Can...can you find your clan records? Just so we can find out if this is a Hatake thing or...or if it's something to worry about." He almost snorted at that – she seemed rather worried already – but managed to hold back as he gently disentangled from her damp grip. His hands felt cold without a back pressed against them, but he relished the feeling. After all, it meant he'd just had her in his arms.

"No problem, I'll go and look now. Will you be okay for a moment...I can get you tea or make something to e-" He was cut off by a cold Sasuke-glare. It was strange, how the old Sasuke was still there, just behind the needy, emotional woman of a moment before, and suddenly back in control. Clearly, the aloof male pride in her was determined to make up for her previous moment of clingy-ness.

"I'm fine. Just find what kind of development is normal for Hatake babies by tomorrow. I'm going back to bed." There was no use trying to be nice or understanding now, so he just nodded, wiping ineffectively at the tear-stains on his shoulder. Oh well, he'd had much worse on missions. She tossed her hair and walked out, leaving his chest feeling tight again. But it wasn't like she knew how much she affected him, so he couldn't blame her. It was his fault for falling for her so hard.

"Okay, see you in the morning." He uttered pointlessly to the empty room. With a sigh, he wandered through to the hall, he quickly dispelling a concealment genjutsu and opening the cupboard where his few clan heirlooms were kept. From the number and size of the scrolls here, it looked like he wouldn't be sleeping much tonight. That was for the best though, he needed time to think without Sasuke's presence. He needed to plan out how to keep her by his side, to keep her safe. He didn't think he could stand it if she ended up as another name on the memorial stone.

* * *

At last, they're starting to get out of denial...well, Kakashi is anyway. Sasuke is just being moody and stressed. Anyway, reviews will be loved and treasured and squealed over, so please click that button and tell me what you thought!


	23. Truth Will Out

Another chapter up...I'm really really sorry it's late guys! My internet's been messing around and I haven't been able to get it up till now. And I'm afraid I can't even promise to do better in future - at least not the near future - because I've got exams coming up. But I'll try my best to keep up at least a fortnightly update, no matter what.

Anyway, it's Sasuke's PoV, and I hope you enjoy reading!

* * *

She was late! Nearly twenty minutes late by now, and still no sign of her. And Hinata ad never been late before...why did it have to be today of all days? At this rate he'd either have to cut dinner short, or be late for his appointment with Sakura, and he couldn't afford to miss that, even though it made his stomach twist with nervousness. At least Kakashi would be there this time, so he wouldn't feel quite so isolated when he got the news. And if it was good news...well, they could celebrate.

It didn't seem that likely though. Kakashi hadn't been able to find any records of abnormal growth patterns in Hatake babies, and his was still growing too fast. He could feel the drain on his chakra all the time now, seeping into a seemingly endless hole where the baby fed. Why couldn't he have a normal baby? One that wasn't too strong or too weak, one that wasn't growing at such a rate he could practically feel the difference as the days went by. But no, he had to have a child that kept him up all night worrying, and drained him all day, and made him feel moody in a way that was completely undignified for an Uchiha.

The worst thing was, he felt attached to it now. Like it was _his_, not just the Uchiha clan's. It felt different too now, slightly heavy and padded around his hips when he lay down, an almost-sense of its chakra when he meditated, a constant reminder of the little one inside him. Very definitely not anybody else's. And that made every fear he had for it worse than before, far worse.

"S-sasuke, sorry I'm late. It was the jounin exams, and Kiba...he's in hospital. Sakura said he was going to need emergency treatment for the next day or two and I..." He suppressed the urge to flinch, barely. He hadn't realized he was so lost in his own thoughts. And what was she saying about Sakura? Did that mean he wouldn't have an appointment with her now? And now Hinata was looking at him oddly, what was that about? Oh, that's right. Kiba. She probably wanted comforting or something.

"I'm sure he'll be fine, he's got the world's top three medics, and they'll do everything they can for him. Why don't we go to a tearoom and you can tell me about it, okay?" The words sounded strange to his ears, overly soft and silky. But Hinata didn't seem to notice anything, and just nodded slightly, linking her trembling arm through his as he stood to leave the park.

"Well...you know how the exams work, right? He got th-through to the last stage, and then...then he was set against these t-two guys. I-I don't know who they were, probably ANBU or something, and he fought so well but they, they w-were just too much. He won, barely, but his leg was h-h-hanging a-almost, almost o-" He felt her arm shake in his, and carefully pulled her into a hug, letting her shudder and weep against his chest.

It felt nothing like Kakashi's arms had...but of course, it wouldn't. After all, he was doing the holding now, being the strong one. Some day he'd be doing it for his child. Maybe that would feel more like holding Kakashi.

Finally she pulled away slightly, blushing and wiping her fingers ineffectually against his damp front.

"Uh, maybe...rather than go to a tearoom, it might be better just to go for a w-walk? Or we could go t-to y-your house if y-you want to ch-change first." He saw her point – it would look odd if they turned up as they were...but he didn't have the energy to walk to the other side of town, change, eat, and get home. His chakra reserves would end up too low that way. Equally a walk could end up taking far too long, but he could get out of it sooner. He'd just say it was a bit cold with a damp shirt on, and she'd be too busy blushing apologies to prevent his escape. Perfect.

"Let's go for a walk somewhere...how about up by the east wall?" It sounded innocent enough, since there was more parkland round there. It just happened that home was closer that way, as Kakashi didn't like being in the center of town. Still, it was more central than his clan estate, so he couldn't complain.

#

Ow! He bit his lip in to hold back a whimper as Hinata's elbow suddenly dug into his side. That couldn't do the baby any good...oh wait, she was looking at him again, like he'd done something wrong.

"Hinata?" He'd been just about to make his excuses and leave her as well, but the way she was holding herself, unnaturally loose, ready to move in any direction at a moment's notice, told him something was up. Shit. He couldn't fight in his condition, he was almost out of chakra and the baby was stealing the remainder at a pretty high rate. Keeping his posture casual, he pulled her into an embrace to whisper in her ear.

"What is it Hinata? I can't sense anybody." Her breathing was soft against his neck, too tightly controlled, too ready for battle. He still couldn't sense anybody though...the baby must be interfering with his chakra flow too much.

"Somewhere nearby, faint. I thought I felt something earlier, but I couldn't tell properly till we were away from the town. I th-think we're being followed, but I can't pinpoint their position. Either they're hiding at a distance, or they've just got really weak chakra...it's a bit strange though..." He tried again to feel for it, but he was to distracted by the swirling away of chakra between his hips. Oh. She couldn't be sensing the kid, could she? He swore silently to himself for a moment, probing harder to feel anything outside of himself she might be referring to. Nothing.

That meant it must be his baby she could feel. And _that_ meant he had to stop her using her byakugan at all costs. But he couldn't suppress its presence, that would kill it, and he didn't think he could persuade her she was imagining things. He had to try though.

"I don't think there's anything. Not round here anyway. Come on, let's head back to the Hokage tower and inform Lady Tsunade. We can find out if the guards have seen anything too." He tugged on her gently, trying to bring her out of her alert stance, but she only broke her hold on him and stared again. What had he done this time? He didn't like it when she looked at him like that, it was more than a little freaky.

"You...you're not...you're not Sasuke! Who are you?" Suddenly he was flying back, body going into autopilot to land him on his feet, his left shoulder numb and responding. Damn. He watched, impotent, as her hands formed a seal, and her eyes flooded with chakra.

"Byakugan!"

He could feel her stare, through him into him, and...she gasped and stepped back.

"Sasuke? You're...you're...p-p-pregnant?" And now the secret was out. No way could he hide anything from her eyes. Awkwardly, he nodded, releasing the henge and letting her see his female form properly. Still staring with veins bulging around her eyes, she stepped forwards and gently reached for his abdomen. He flinched as her cold palm came to rest on the spot where his baby was, and he only just resisted the urge to lash out. After all, she could kill it with her hand at this very moment, and he wouldn't be able to do a thing about it. A long, tense moment passed, and then she moved, Sitting on the grass and gesturing for him to join her.

"H-how...who...who's the f-father?" Surprisingly, she wasn't blushing, instead looking at him with those strange white eyes unblinkingly. She would see any lies he told instantly. Better to tell the truth and try to gain her sympathy.

"It's mine and Kakashi's. When I returned there was an...incident. I ended up stuck in this form due to the pregnancy, and I've been using a henge to keep hidden up till now, but..."

"But now the l-little one's chakra is developing." She finished for him, face solemn and not Hinata-ish at all "So this, this is why y-you suddenly wanted to m-marry me?" She looked a little hurt, as far as he could tell with her eyes so strangely wide. He needed to get her sympathy, and fast.

"It's not like that! I never intended to have a child like this. I intended to court you after a proper amount of time, and win your hand. But with this...I had to do something, so my child would have a mother, somebody to care for it. I don't know how to look after a child, and I want it to have a happy life, one without isolation. I know you are the best mother possible for it." The words felt heavy on his tongue, not quite lies but not the truth either. He didn't know what the truth was any more though.

"Sasuke, that isn't true. a child needs its own mother. You are the only mother it can have. The only one it needs." Her voice was far too soft, too understanding. But worst of all, it sounded like she was refusing him, refusing his courtship, negating everything he'd worked for so far. He felt ill, but suppressed the urge to beg, trying to keep his voice steady.

"You mean, you won't marry me?" It sounded like he was pleading anyway, and he could see in her face that she'd noticed. She shook her head gently, letting her features sink back to smoothness, her eyes no longer distorted in the dimming light.

"No. I never intended to anyway. I'm sorry but...I'm in l-love with somebody else. You've become a friend to me, so I'll help you, and I'll keep your secret. But I can't be a m-mother to your child. Sorry."

Sorry. The words slipped numbly through his brain. Everything he'd worked for, gone. Sorry. _Sorry_. What the hell was he going to do now?

* * *

Ta-da! There you have it, the end of all those worrisome ideas of marriage, all stopped for good. Though of course Sasuke isn't happy.

Please review with your thoughts and feelings, feedback helps me write better, and really does effect my update rate, especially those inspiring ones with your ideas about what should happen next! You guys have really helped shape this story. Thanks for reading!


	24. Guilty Pleasure

Mwahaha, things are coming to a head here. Sorry for the slow updates, as I've said before I've got exams coming up. Anyway, enjoy the fallout after Hinata's discoveries (from Kakashi's PoV)

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Kakashi wandered round his kitchen doing mindless chores, totally failing to look casual. He was currently in shock – he'd been following Sasuke, as per usual, and Hinata had noticed him. He had never been caught following anybody before, not since he was a genin! She was distracted too, and not on guard, so it didn't make sense for her to sense his presence. Still, there was no mistaking the way she was moving, and he'd hightailed it before she activated her bloodline.

Now he was home, but he was worried about Sasuke; if Hinata had used the byakugan the game would be up. Of course, it probably was anyway, but he didn't know how the Hyuuga girl would react. Should he go and help Sasuke? Or would she realize that _he'd_ been the presence Hinata had noticed, and therefore the cause of all this trouble? And would Hinata pose a threat to her? He didn't think so somehow, since she was usually so gentle and shy, and it would help her stay with Kiba. But that meant Hiashi Hyuuga would find out about the baby, and he doubted Sasuke would react well to that.

He just hoped she'd dismissed his presence, even if it meant this sham of courtship would continue longer. It wouldn't last much longer anyway now, not now Kiba was to become a jounin.

He'd seen the match, the youngest Inuzuka pitted against a pair of ANBU in their prime. It wasn't really any surprise the boy had been injured, though it had made him wince when a high level genjutsu had led to Akamaru nearly gnawing off his own master's leg. But that Kiba won the match in the end? That had seemed mad. He'd kept on going though, forced to ride on his nin-dog's back, using up every last scrap of his chakra to outlast the time limit.

It had been a unanimous vote among the examiners – he was jounin material. But he was currently quite severely injured, and until his leg was holding together well enough to walk on, he probably wouldn't be able to win over the Hyuuga head. Also, since his new rank hadn't been announced, Hinata wouldn't know either...but she must have guessed, since he'd seen her at the match too.

**_SLAM_**

He turned, glad he had his mask up as he took in Sasuke's face. She looked pale, her eyes wide and unfocused, weak chakra fluctuating unsteadily. He took a hesitant step towards her, unable to comfort her without revealing he knew what was wrong, but unable to bring himself to ask either.

"She found out. Hinata. No marriage anymore and...fuck." She took a step forwards, and another, then was in his arms again; not sobbing this time, but shaking with shock and clinging to him in a way that made him shiver. He didn't deserve this – it was all his fault, yet as a result of her misery, he got to have his arms around her, the girl he loved.

He held her tighter and tried not to think about it. All that mattered right now was being there for her, holding her close and rubbing little circles into the small of her back in the quiet as she shivered.

#

It was nearly dark by the time she pulled away, the myriad colours in her hair faded to plain black, the tension in every muscle eased enough for her to look up at him. She looked for a long time too, long-lashed eyes searching his face as if captivated, yet still sharp and completely Sasuke. He tried not to squirm, the habit of hiding himself too deeply ingrained to find comfort in the way her eyes moved – now tracing the line of his hair, now flicking to the blankness of his mask.

She reached up to remove it, fingers brushing far too gently against his cheek, slipping under to pinch the fabric and peel it away, leaving him exposed. He did his utmost to remain impassive, as blank and unfeeling as he could. He didn't want her realizing just how deep his feelings went, or she might stop, might break the spell of silence and closeness woven around them. But then those fingers brushed his lips, slipped past his ear, round to the back of his neck, and somehow he was kissing her.

Her lips were just slightly cool under his, but pressing determinedly, matched by the grip she had on the nape of his neck. He didn't bother trying to be in control, but let her mouth slide softly over his, retreat, and return wetted and warmed for more. She licked her lips again, not bothering to pull back, and he wanted to kiss her harder, deeper, but that wasn't an option. This was her game, not his, and he wasn't going to do _anything_ that might risk putting a stop to it.

Finally, too gently to be Sasuke, too perfectly to be anybody else, she pushed his lips apart against her own. Her tongue was tentative, just barely tasting him before it retreated, then returning, and repeating the whole teasing process that seemed to be the basis for the whole kiss. He held in a groan and pulled her slightly closer, not wanting to be forceful but needing to feel more, needing to have her and hold her and make her _his_. For a moment, one heart stopping second, she leaned away, eyes flashing with Uchiha pride.

But then she merely smirked and plunged back in, no longer a shy maiden but a warrior, all battling tongue and nipping teeth, her fingers digging into the base of his neck as it turned into a battle. Abandoning the aloof facade he'd been clinging to, he pressed her against the kitchen counter, feeling the swell of her breasts against his chest, one hand holding the small of her back to him and the other fisted in her mane of hair, pressing and pushing and wanting.

She whimpered, a small victory, and he leaned down in triumph to nip at her exposed neck, licking and sucking and tasting all that ivory skin. She panted, rolled her head against nothingness, then dragged his head back up for another kiss, lips heated now and both hands moving, stroking his shoulders and scratching down his back, pulling on his hips and...oh.

It only took a second to lift her legs, wrapping them round his hips, letting her do _that_, again and again and- He growled, hardly aware that the sound put Sasuke back in control, winner for now, until her teeth were at his jawline and she was biting and kissing and sucking down his neck to his shirt, tugging at the material to expose more skin.

The fabric gave way suddenly, ripping loudly into the near-silence, broken only by their heavy breathing. He paused, goosebumps quivering across newly bared skin. She paused, pulling back with that appraising stare again, intense and wide-eyed and impossible to read. It was dark now, and even with good night vision her face was too shadowed to her thoughts clearly. He couldn't read her face, but he read the way her hips ground into his again, even as the sensation made him gasp, and he heard the whimper she gave in response, needy and commanding all at once.

Her arms laced tight around his neck as he pulled her buttocks against him, and he carried her swiftly to the bedroom, ignoring the rational part of him screaming that it _wasn't_ a good idea to sleep with her when she didn't have feelings for him. But it didn't matter if she didn't love him. It didn't matter what her reasons were for wanting him now. What mattered was that she wanted him, and she wanted him right now.

Who was he to deny her?

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Ah, I do believe I smell citrus on the incoming breeze...lemon or lime, that is the question :D

Feedback makes me happy, and you guys who review are my inspiration, thank you!


	25. Over The Edge

Hello again! Wow, it really feels like a long time since I last updated...sorry for the wait. Um, this chapter has a lemon alert, so yeah...if you don't want to know, I'd suggest you avoid the chapter. For those of you who do want to know, please please _please_ give me feedback - I found it pretty hard to write, and I would love constructive criticism so I can do better next time.

Anyway, without further ado, here it is! (Sasuke's PoV)

* * *

He didn't know why he'd done it, really. Not to start with. He'd just felt so weird, all floaty and disconnected when he came back home, that he'd ended in Kakashi's arms again, all warm and steady around him, grounding him so he didn't float away completely. He'd stopped thinking then, just let himself be still for a while, quiet and blank, protected by that solid embrace.

And then they were kissing. He'd started it, he knew that much, but he couldn't say why exactly, only that the impulse had come out of nowhere. He hadn't even thought of repressing the urge, the situation felt too unreal, too soft and gentle, not like Kakashi at all. Like just another dream in the night, too tired to think but too awake to sleep, full of impressions of lips and soft silver hair.

Then Kakashi moved, shifted into reality again, and he knew it wasn't a dream at all. He'd almost run away then, shocked at the thought of kissing anybody right now, let alone the one person he couldn't afford to mess things up with. But dammit he _wanted_ Kakashi, had had night after night of fantasies, of pinning him down and breaking through the couldn't-care-less attitude, of being pinned down and fucked to the ground. He'd run out of patience, and he wanted something to go his way for once.

So they had made out, hot and hungry and demanding against one another, his hips pressed uncomfortably against the sideboard behind him but neither of them caring. The feel of his head being yanked back as his neck was assaulted blended into the slight relief of grinding into the hardened flesh of the man's crotch, and there was too much clothing, so he ripped it off. Kakashi's chest was too beautiful to be logical. It wasn't that it was perfect; there were a few freckles and scars, only just visible in the darkness but enough to make his breath catch. No, Kakashi wasn't perfect, but that's why it was okay to pull him closer, to let the tension twisting between his thighs turn to a rush of excited pleasure.

And now here he was – on the bed, on his back, completely naked and still being kissed intensely enough to bruise. Through the haze of lust and pleasure he wondered what the hell he'd got himself into.

It wasn't that he didn't want Kakashi – he did, more than ever with those large hands on his neck and breasts, their lips moving urgently against each other. The problem was, it wasn't going to last forever. He would be a man again in a few months, life would go back to normal. And he didn't know if he could handle the memories once he was back in a man's body with normal male hormones. What if he ended up unable to face the man, just because he'd-

His thoughts turned to mush as calloused fingers pinched a nipple. Against his will, his throat let loose a gasp as his shoulders pushed into the mattress, pressing his breasts further into that intolerably wonderful sensation. Then just as suddenly, it was gone, and he growled wetly against Kakashi's mouth in displeasure at the loss.

A husky chuckle buzzed against his lips, and then the mouth was gone, and he could only pant as little kisses inched their way down, closer, closer...he flinched, hands grasping fistfuls of soft hair as the bastard bit – _bit_ – on the sensitive flesh, flashes of arousal radiating out from his chest to converge again between his legs, another breathless sound escaping into the darkness.

He ground his hips up, feet locking behind Kakashi's back to press the cloth-roughened bulge of arousal against his own heat, feeling the hiss of the man's indrawn breath prickle across damp skin. He smirked a bit at that, at having drawn out a reaction so easily, before squeaking in surprise as blunt nails scratched down his side. He decided to stop keeping track of their responses, and gave in to the tide of sensation, squirming and grabbing at muscled arms to haul those lips back up.

But suddenly there was a pause, and no lips met his own. He growled and tugged again, only to have Kakashi pull back slightly.

"Wait...I don't want it to be like this again. Let's take it slow, okay?" The words didn't compute for a moment. Kakashi was stopping? No, not stopping, kissing; just no longer frantic and uncontrolled, not quite so unthinkingly passionate. Somehow the change felt significant, on the cusp of some broad shift, and reason forced its way into his lust-clouded mind.

This was Kakashi. He was too important to hurt, he didn't want to risk changing things between them, but it was too late. He couldn't run away without destroying this fragile web of trust and...whatever it was that was between them, deeper than teamwork, more important than the daily irritations they encountered. He didn't know what would happen if he continued, but - raging hormones aside - he knew it couldn't be worse than losing his last support now, now everything was falling apart around him. The best option was to go along with the man's request, and hope nothing changed too much.

So he let his arms slide gently round Kakashi's waist, let their kisses drag on languidly in the sudden calm after all that frantic need. He traced across the surface of the man's back, feeling old scars and the dimples either side of his spine, just above jounin pants and the shared heat between their legs.

He felt his skin flinch reflexively as calloused fingertips moved down his left side, down over his hip, gently over his thigh and then back up to his shoulder. Then down again, this time just barely brushing the curls between his parted thighs before returning slowly back up. A whimper escaped, but it was swallowed up by Kakashi's mouth.

Finally, with unbearably unhurried detours, those fingers reached between his parted thighs, gently swiping against slick flesh and making his arms shake. It felt so different to his own hand – rougher, broader pads of skin, and more deliberate strokes. His hips pressed up automatically, wanting more, wanting it _now_, but the fingers retreated so he tried to hold still. Again they pressed, this time into him, stretching and filling him in a very different sensation.

He blushed at the little whine of displeasure that from his throat when Kakashi's lips disengaged, followed by his fingers. The weight above him shifted, settling on his thighs as the metallic sound of a zip mingled with their heavy breathing in the darkness.

He reached out unthinkingly, running his hands blindly down that smooth torso and over the hips, pulling down both layers of fabric at once until he could reach and grasp Kakashi's erection, pumping gently. It was strange, feeling the texture and girth pulsing under his fingers while he felt so aroused, but not being able to feel the sensation of his hand.

He felt the way the air vibrated with Kakashi's groan though, sending a shot of heat to pool in his abdomen. But then those large hands were wrapping round his, gently pulling him away, pinning his arms out either side of his head, and they were kissing again. He could feel the rhythm of Kakashi's heartbeat between his legs, the heat between their chests, the press of calloused skin against his wrists, and he tried to arch closer to it all.

His nipples brushed hot skin, and another moan filled his mouth, though he couldn't tell if it was his or Kakashi's. He wanted more though, he wanted his arms free to cling and hold, to pull himself so close he could forget they were two separate people. He squirmed and pulled free, breaking the kiss and panting for a moment.

"Now." His voice didn't sound like him, it was whispery and high but also husky, almost slurring. He didn't have time to ponder the intricacies of his throat though, because Kakashi was nodding, moving his hand down again, and there was a blunt pressure pressing at him, wanting in. It felt strange, widening his legs and arching, feeling the slip-stretch-slide inside him, like at any moment there would be pain.

And then it stopped, Kakashi letting out a slightly shaky breath, kissing him shortly, and pulling back out, and slowly back in, a million nerve endings sending tingles throughout him. So very slow, full of the contained power that marked the man as an elite ninja, that it took him a moment to realize he was whimpering again, wrapping his legs around that slim waist and trying to get more, feel more, be more.

He didn't even try to hold back him moan when the man heeded him, switching to a steady pace that was just slow enough to savor, just fast enough to make him shiver. His belly was twisting and his limbs felt almost disconnected, pulling their bodies together in time without thought.

Kakashi's lips met his neck, kissing and nipping gently, adding another layer to the fire running through him, almost visible as he stared up at the darkness. A hand ran down his side, cupped a breast and made him feel the edge of his orgasm, before letting go and slipping down over his stomach, to his hip. Pausing.

Then one finger pressed between their bodies, hot and unbearable and just _perfect_ among all the other sensations. The fire in him swept out, somewhere between an explosion and a hurricane, and he dimly recognized it from the time Kakashi walked in on him. But it was different, stronger, filled instead of empty.

Suddenly, everything became even more intense as Kakashi's hips hit his hard; once, twice, a third...he felt rather than heard the groan against his neck. And then stillness, broken by heavy panting, the last of the fire dwindling to where Kakashi was in him still, where he could feel his heartbeat, feel the hotness in him.

Eventually, when their breathing had returned to normal, Kakashi pulled out, both holding back a hiss at the sensation. He didn't quite manage to hold back the little sound of disappointment that emerged when Kakashi rolled off, but it served its purpose as the man slung an arm around him, letting him lean his head on Kakashi's chest and listen to his heartbeat.

He could think of hundreds of reasons why he shouldn't be cuddling now, why he shouldn't have let things happen like this in the first place, but right now he was too exhausted to try. In the morning...well, he'd just have to wait and see what happened. Until then, he deserved a nice long sleep.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed it! I'll try to update soon, but no promises.

P.S. Feedback, anybody?


	26. Wake Up Call

Yes, I am terrible and horrible and many other bad things for making you wait this long. I'm sorry, and I'll really try not to let the next update be so late. Also, I have a shout-out to **Hanna** who reviewed, but isn't a member - Thank you for sending me such lovely feedback, you're wonderful! And maybe you could get an account so I can write a proper response? (hint hint)

Anyway, here's Kakashi's PoV for all you patient readers. Enjoy!

* * *

Kakashi was not ready to wake up when somebody knocked on the door. He'd been drifting in a dream world of soft hair and sunlight and a warm body on his chest, when the sound of someone rapping on wood yanked him to wakefulness. He spared a brief smile to an oblivious Sasuke – sprawled out sleeping over the bed and his chest, lips half pouting and body naked – before scowling in the direction of the hallway. Should he answer, and get dressed, and lose out on precious cuddling time? Or leave it, and risk Sasuke getting woken?

He was saved from deciding when he heard the lock click, and the somebody strode down the hallway.

"Sensei, it's nearly midday, how lazy can you g-eep!" Sakura's voice turned into a squeak of mortification as she marched into the room, noticed the undressed state of the occupants, and covered her eyes. He sighed softly as Sasuke stirred. This was _not_ the way he'd planned on starting the day. His thoughts had been more along the lines of snuggling, sleeping, and maybe making love some more if Sasuke was amenable.

Somehow he didn't think she would be in the mood for tenderness once she saw her teammate's blush. He reached out his left hand – the other being pinned down by warm, soft breasts and quite unwilling to move – and pulled the covers up to reduce the stress on his ex-students's minds.

"Wha'th'fuck?" Sasuke's voice vibrated interestingly through his skin, and he had to remind himself that now was _really_ not the time to be getting aroused. Especially as her voice mirrored his own irritation at being awoken from such a blissful sleep. He looked blearily over at Sakura, who had stopped covering her eyes for some reason, and was now openly staring, still flushed but no longer quite so shocked. In fact, her gaze looked almost apprecia...tive.

Oh yeah, he wasn't wearing his mask. Well, he was, but it was round his neck, and not covering his face at all. It was about time to show his students anyway, he trusted them all, and it wasn't like there was much to see. They'd lost interest in it as they'd matured, and now he couldn't even tease Naruto with it. Though hadn't Sasuke said something about that first night being a mission to see his face? Either way, they'd earned the right to see it, and it wasn't a problem that he was so exposed, not a problem at al-

Suddenly a blessed facefull of hair covered him as Sasuke turned, looking over at Sakura.

"What the hell are you doing here?" She clearly didn't have the same issues with exposure he had – the sheet he'd only just covered them with was now pooling round her hips, and those lovely breasts must be on full display. Yep, definitely, judging by the way Sakura was looking pointedly _away_.

"I'm here to check up on you. I posted a note this morning to let you know our appointment could be moved to lunchtime, and you didn't turn up. I thought there might be a problem, so I came over and...well, I can give you a check up here and now if you like." A moment of stiff silence, then his face was uncovered again as Sasuke got out of bed without a single glance at him.

He pulled his mask up and tried to look nonchalant. Somehow he didn't think he was doing a very good job of it, but it didn't matter,because he needed to stop keeping up appearances for the sake of it. He needed to do what he truly wanted, because that seemed to be the only thing that brought Sasuke closer to him, and there was nothing more wonderful than being in her arms.

She looked over at him, but she was dressed now, and it looked like all her walls were safely up again. He wondered idly if he'd ever get past them again, or if last night was a fluke, an accident to be regretted. He certainly didn't think so, but with Sasuke he couldn't tell, she was just naturally enigmatic. Then he shook his head at his own dreaminess, and got out of bed too. Sakura blushed again, but he escaped to the bathroom before she saw too much. When he got out he felt a bit more grounded, and went to make tea as Sakura started her examination.

He came back in to see Sasuke lying on her back, midriff bare but covered by slender fingers – both hers and Sakura's feeling for the child. Her eyes were closed in concentration, but Sakura's were following him, head cocked as if she were listening to him. He coughed slightly, uncomfortable under her oddly professional gaze.

"Tea?" Pink hair shook in a negative, then her head twitched as she gestured for him to come closer. He did so slowly, watching her eyes as they flashed through myriad calculations of some kind. When he stopped at the edge of the bed, she lifted one hand and placed his on against Sasuke's abdomen. A moment later, apparently satisfied, she took the other hand away, and Sasuke opened her eyes.

"Interesting. The child's chakra response is very developed. I could feel the change with every step you took." Chakra response? He'd heard something about that once...what was it? He'd been talking with Kurenai, just a few weeks after Asuma's funeral. But what had she said?

#

_They were both at the memorial as dawn broke, both too wrapped up in their own thoughts to care about the other's presence. They stood all morning, silent and disconnected, until she moved, wiping tear tracks from her face and turning to him. He didn't want to talk, but if she wanted to...well, she had lost more than him in this last week; he would give what comfort he could._

"_Kakashi." Her voice was flat and tense, her face blank and her eyes shining with more tears._

"_Kurenai. How are...things?" He didn't want to ask if she was coping, that would only insult her pride as a kunoichi. He couldn't ask simply how she was, because it was clear she was greiving and hurting, and she knew it. Still, 'things' sounded too vague, not caring enough._

"_I'm managing. Things are improving, I suppose. But...it's not looking good for our...my...baby. His chakra production isn't stimulated without A-Asuma's feeding in, and the drain on me is much greater as a result. I'm going to have to stop working, and I might even need top-ups at the hospital." She paused, looked at him with shadowed eyes. Paused again, leaving his breath stuck in his throat, waiting for her to say whatever it was that was so important._

"_I put you down as my next of kin, just...just in case. Just until he's born or the danger passes. And Tsunade thinks the presence of a male, any male, may help stimulate his chakra response..." She didn't quite ask him, but the meaning was clear. He would help; he owed Asuma that much._

"_I come here every morning." It was close enough to an offer, she would understand. She nodded, and they fell back into silence._

#

"-oably means it will be born early. It also means if you'd bothered coming to the hospital, we could have done a screening and found out the gender, but it's only a few weeks till your next appointment, so that shouldn't matter. Let's see...I think that's all, is there anything you want to tell me about, or any questions?" Oops, he'd missed most of that. Never mind, she'd given him an interesting thought.

"Sakura? How does the chakra response work?" She shot him an exasperated look, clearly annoyed that he didn't know already. Maybe she'd mentioned it while he was reminiscing. Sasuke didn't appear to be any the wiser though, leaning on her elbows to listen, top bunched up around her breasts. He shook his head and looked back at Sakura; now was not the time for fantasies.

"You should know this, it's genin stuff! Chakra response occurs in all individuals, it's a kind of...echo, you could say, between family members, and it stimulates growth and chakra production. It's stronger in some than others, and it fades as you grow. But that's why they don't send family members on missions together – their chakra signature will increase with proximity, allowing them to be detected." Well, that's why he didn't know – he hadn't had a family for long enough. Oddly, the thought didn't hurt as much as some days. Maybe because he had somebody close to him again, after all this time alone. Maybe just because he's got bigger things to worry about than the past now.

In particular, Sasuke's reaction if she finds out about his habit of stalking her...assuming Hinata noticed his chakra or the baby's. But in the end, isn't it a good thing? He's helped, he's made their child stronger, more developed...even if it was unwitting. He's probably done some growing of his own, being near a family member for the first time since he was a child.

He and the baby. Sasuke and the baby. His Sasuke.

They would all grow together.

* * *

Yes, I managed to be both sappy and scientific...but that's Kakashi for you! I hope Sakura's explanation made sense, if not tell me and I'll explain in more detail. Sorry again for being so late. And as always, feedback makes my world go round...please support my addiction?


	27. Facts And Advice

Another update at last! And looky,it's hardly even late...see how dedicated I am to you lovely readers? Anyway, enjoy while it lasts, I've still got another fortnight of exams to go before I can get back to proper, regular updates. So, Sasuke's PoV. Enjoy!

* * *

Lukewarm water poured down all around him, steamy and slick, making trails cross his skin, skin that was starting to wrinkle with the amount of time he'd been standing here under the spray. He didn't feel ready to come out yet though, because that would mean facing Kakashi, and he wasn't sure he could manage that.

He wasn't sure he could really believe what had happened in the last day. Hinata had found out about the child, and....had she really rejected him? Caring, compassionate, controllable Hinata; standing up for herself and leaving him? He knew she wasn't as shy and easily swayed as she appeared, but even so she was mild, and she knew her duty. What had happened to change that? Love, like she'd said? He'd thought she loved him, or something close to it anyway.

And _then_. Then there was Kakashi. He hadn't planned to sleep with the guy, even if he kept waking hot and uncomfortable at night from dreams about him, even if is eyes traced the lines of his face whenever it was exposed. He had more self-control than that, at least he'd thought so until last night. And now their tenuous balance was gone, and he didn't know what he thought, what he felt. No matter that he'd never really understood their relationship in the first place, he felt lost now without the habitual boundaries.

It was too late to change things now though. He'd learned enough times by now not to dwell on what couldn't be un-done, it would only send him spiraling into obsession, and he couldn't do that to the baby. No, they'd just have to sort things out.

Only he couldn't make any decisions until he'd spoken to Hinata. If she changed her mind, he would simply marry her at the earliest opportunity, and try to make things between him and Kakashi go back to what they were before. If she still wouldn't...well, he didn't have the time or resources to find another suitable woman. He would have to see if Kakashi was willing to be a parent to their child. At least that way there might be the chance of more se-

No. He didn't want to jeopardize their relationship any further, he wasn't going to wreck things for when they were both men again just for the sake of his own lust. If Hinata still refused to cooperate, he couldn't afford to take risks. Kakashi was the only thing he could rely on, and he wasn't going to risk losing that for anything.

He had to put the baby first. he ran his fingers over his belly, almost sure he could feel the stretch of taut muscle across his abdomen. Calm now, the tiny pulse of life inside him, no flaring chakra. Maybe that meant Kakashi was further away? Carefully, he reached out his senses, feeling nothing. Must have gone out. Perfect.

With a sigh, he turned off the water and wrung out his hair. It was nearly four o'clock now, time to get hold of Hinata.

#

Hinata slipped gracefully into the chair opposite him, smiling shyly as always, though she seemed a little embarrassed. Maybe it was just seeing him like this that did it; fully female in public, when her family thought she was out for dinner with a respectable male suitor.

"I already ordered, you like matsutake gohan, right?" He wanted to wince at the soft lilt his voice had, high and sweet and definitely not Sasuke. Hinata was too well-bred to react though, and simply nodded politely. Not the woman he'd been getting to know these last few weeks, too reserved. Like she didn't trust him any more.

"Thank you, I do. Now, you wanted to talk to m-me?" Her voice wasn't cold, but there was still that guardedness. Gentlemanly behavior wouldn't save things now, not with hips and breasts and hair flowing down his back. The odds of her changing her mind didn't look too good, but he didn't have the energy for games any more, he just wanted to find out where he stood and get things sorted. Until then, he would continue to feel the almost-panic that had been filling his blood since he awoke.

"Yeah, I need to talk to you. About us, and my...child. I want to know if you've thought any more about being my wife." He didn't want to ask, though he wasn't quite sure why. Just it would imply that he really wanted her, when actually he just wanted to know. Not that he didn't want her, of course, but still.

She shifted uncomfortably, blushing slightly and starting to say something, but pausing as the food arrived. She took an overly large mouthful and chewed slowly, making him want to prompt her to speak, but knowing he couldn't push. At last she swallowed, and to a sip of water.

"I can't m-marry you. I told you, I love somebody else. Kiba. You are a f-friend to me now, but nothing more. I'm s-sorry. You should stay with Kakashi, look after your baby together. H-he's a good man, and he cares about you, and he'll be a good father." Her voice held too much conviction, enough certainty to make him suspicious. He barely even spared an angry thought for Kiba at the way he'd come between them, knowing it wouldn't help and more interested in her advice.

It made sense, obvious common sense...but at the same time, he wanted to rebel at the thought, knowing just how hard the remaining months of pregnancy would be with Kakashi around, _caring_ for him. It would make things impossible when he was a man again. Surely she hadn't overlooked that not-so-minor point?

"We're both straight men, it wouldn't work, no matter how much he cares about the kid." He couldn't bring himself to say that Kakashi cares for him. It simply couldn't happen, it spoils all the possibilities but makes such sense after last night. But while Kakashi won't have a gender change to squash his feelings, _he_ will, and then things will be unequal. He knows from experience how damaging unevenly reciprocated feelings can be, and he won't let things get messed up like they did so long ago with Naruto.

"-ill work, I know it. You and he have a b-bond and you love your child. And r-really, if you love someone, you love them for who they are, not what they have between their l-l-legs!" She ended in a near shout, blushing deep scarlet, but steadfast and surprisingly vehement. Love? He didn't love Kakashi. It was just a difficult situation, and mutual trust, and fantastic sex. None of that added up to _love_.

"We don't love each other. The child was an accident, it wasn't planned." He felt almost sick at calling it, that little eddy of life in him, an accident. It just sounded so different from how he felt about it. But he had to get the point across, and it truly had been unplanned. Hinata looked unimpressed though, and flooded her arms in an oddly aggressive gesture.

"So that's w-why he was following us that night? Why -_byakugan-_ ...he's sitting on the rooftop outside now? Why you ran home and m-made l-love to each other last night s-so tenderly? Don't lie to me."

Kakashi followed him? That chakra flare in his abdomen...the baby's fast development...the lack of questions about his day...the amount of time he spent away on missions...the way he always arrived home last. Shards of memory all fell together, and he realized with a tingling certainty that Kakashi had been doing this from the beginning. Following him, them. Him and Hinata.

Was it from jealousy? That didn't seem right. The man hadn't seemed relieved in the slightest when he found out about Hinata's refusal. Not that he'd been watching for a reaction, to numb to think, but he probably would have noticed, had it been there. Caring? Maybe the man ad acted out of care, but it hadn't done any good. It was Kakashi's fault Hinata had found them out in the first place after all. Love? He'd never said anything, never expressed anything like love...well. Last night maybe...No, it couldn't be.

Still, they needed to talk. It was a slightly terrifying thought, halfway between fear and anticipation, but he quashed the emotions with practiced ease. Sorting this mess out was the only option, and he was no coward. He would find a solution. He had to, for the baby's sake. Hinata's white, bulging eyes stared at him, seeming to see through him and into his thoughts.

"He's just opposite, watching the doorway. G-go on, talk to him, I don't need escorting h-home. Just go now." She smiled at him again, bright and more real than any other he'd seen from her, even with veins pulsing in her temples. With a whisper, she deactivated her bloodline limit and waved him away. Slowly he stood, letting his thoughts settle into rationality.

The last thing he heard as he left the restaurant was a quiet "Good luck."

He'd need more than simple luck here. He'd need a miracle.

* * *

Yes, Sasuke _is_ stupid. But that's the problem with emotional repression, it stops you thinking straight. At least with Hinata's help his 'genius' mind is turned in the right direction. Lets just hope they don't end up mucking things up again!

And as always, I love your feedback like every review is my own little child, so please send me any thoughts/advice/crit/questions you have my way :D


	28. The Talk

Look, I managed to update on time, even with exams and everything. Anyway, apologies if there are any missing 'h's, my keyboard is being mean and refusing to type them, so I've had to go through and use copy/paste...and I've probably missed a few somewhere along the line.

Anyway, here's Kakashi's PoV for you to enjoy.

* * *

Kakashi ducked behind the apex of the roof he was on as the door to the restaurant opposite opened, then carefully rose again to get a glimpse of who had left. Sasuke. Why was she leaving so soon? He'd have to hurry to get home before her, then carefully grill her for information.

Except she wasn't walking home, she was walking directly across the road, towards him. There was no way she could have sensed him, and he'd made sure to stay far enough away that the baby wouldn't warn her...oh wait. Hinata, of course. That damn Hyuuga girl must have gone and told Sasuke about his presence last night as well.

He really didn't want things to degenerate into a fight right here in public, that wouldn't look at all good – he'd get beaten to a pulp because he simply _couldn't_ go on the offensive with her pregnant. He felt an odd twinge of wistfulness for the days when Sasuke was...well, Sasuke. The male version.

But then she leaped onto the ridge of the roof to stand above him, hair blowing in her eyes and chakra flaring at her belly, and all his thoughts turned to how utterly molestable she looked. He grinned behind his mask, and gave a little wave.

"Yo. How about I walk you home?" She just glared at him, hands going to her hips and breasts looking so perky, all pink and soft in his hands...Wait. He was meant to be getting them home before she killed him, not mentally undressing her. And she was looking at him oddly now, like she was waiting for him. Oh, right, walking home. Screw that, he was tired of being a gentleman, and her legs looked nice. He grabbed the nearest part of her – her shins – and hoisted her over his shoulder.

Luckily she was wearing a skirt, so it was easy to wriggle a hand up to hold her thigh, effectively preventing her from kneeing him in the face. Though at this angle any sharp sighted civilian in the streets below could notice their indecent position at any moment. But actually, he didn't care what they thought any more. He didn't care what anybody thought.

#

"What the hell was that for? I thought we were going to _walk_, like civilized people, not run through half of Konoha like a...ugh." He grinned at Sasuke unrepentant as he made tea, hands on her hips, every inch feminine and wonderfully indignant. It had been worth making her a little angrier, to have her close and warm and clinging to him for the last few minutes. And she didn't look as angry as he'd expected, so she must have enjoyed it somewhat.

"I just wanted to get home quickly. I didn't want an argument in the middle of the street." Her eyes narrowed on him, and he realized she might have forgotten why she'd found him in the first place. That would explain her oddly good temper.

"Hn...well, we need to talk." Again, she sounded less angry than he'd expected. Well, he wasn't complaining, whatever the cause. Unless it was that she'd won Hinata over, but he didn't think she'd have left the restaurant if that was the case. And Sasuke wasn't one to postpone important news, she was always blunt to a fault.

He cocked his head to one side, waiting for her to say something. After all, _she_ was the one who had all the facts now; he was still in the dark. Sasuke sighed, and leaned forwards to yank down his mask, pressing her lips to his in a brief kiss that threw him completely off balance. She wasn't in shock, or drunk, or anything. Yet she had just kissed him. He fought down a grin – maybe he had a chance after all.

"Right. You're going to listen, and you're not going to say anything until I finish, okay?" He nodded mutely, sitting down at the table and gesturing for her to follow. She sat down and began without preamble.

"Hinata still won't marry me. It's too late to find anybody else, and I'm not sure...I'm not sure it would work anyway. And for the good of the baby, it needs to be near you. On the other hand, you are a lying, overprotective asshole, and it's all your fucking fault she found out about me. But I can't look after the baby on my own.

"I don't know how this can work, but right now it's the only option. It's going to be hard, but for the baby we'll manage. Like you always said about teammates. And...we can't do anything like last night. It'll only make things harder when I'm back to normal and don't feel this way. So we'd be best of just being like teammates, okay?" She looked slightly terrified, and he realized his feelings must be showing on his face.

She wanted to be with him, but not with him. And she was sitting there, looking utterly molestable, talking about being 'just teammates', and about the baby as if it were the only reason he would want to be with her. She hadn't even asked him outright, though the question was clear enough. Would he stay?

The bit about him being an asshole didn't bother him, because he knew he deserved it. But to want to stay with him, and yet not be _his_...it felt like a cross between elation and pain. He couldn't believe he would feel differently for her as a man, though he'd probably miss the breasts. He loved her for other things – the way she growled in the mornings, her mumblings in the night, the way the muscles in her arm moved when she hurled weaponry, her strange, inexplicable behavior.

Which reminded him. If she wanted to stop things, why the hell did she kiss him just now?

"I...of course I'll stay. But..." How was he meant to put this? He couldn't just say he loved her, she might run off at that. He couldn't persuade her without making things very awkward if he failed. But still, she had kissed him, that had to mean something.

"...Surely when you turn back, it won't affect the past. You'll still remember everything as if you were a girl. So what we do now won't affect things in the future." She blinked at him, clearly thinking through the logic.

"You're right. But that isn't the problem. If we continue like this, our...feelings, for one another, will change. So it will be difficult when I'm a guy and we're no longer...attracted to each other." She forced the words out like it shamed her to admit them. But she had said them now, she'd confessed that she was 'attracted' to him, something she'd never before admitted. He felt deliriously happy.

Still, there was the slight problem of her thinking things would change once she was a man again. He knew they wouldn't for him, but he had lived long enough to know the line of sexuality was very blurred. He was more Sasuke-sexual than straight right now. But he couldn't prove she would feel the same,especially as her feelings for him were probably not as strong as his.

Damn it. If only he could turn her into a man for just a moment, so she could see what changed. Then he could be content either way, but as it was, he couldn't make himself give up on the desire to have her, not when he felt so sure of his own feelings.

Suddenly an idea occurred to him, and he had to take a gulp of tea to hide the smile that overtook him.

"Give me a day before you decide for good. Please?" He glanced out of the window at the darkening landscape. Getting up late really messed up his day, but tonight it didn't seem such a problem.

"Come on, Sassy. Let's go to bed now." She scowled at the nickname, and looked like she might refuse, staying sitting when he stood. He held out his hand, trying to look innocent, though he knew she would be suspicious until she found out what the extra day he'd requested was about.

"No sex, I promise." He nearly laughed, hearing himself using a seductive tone at an entirely inappropriate moment, but instead settled for squeezing her hand when she finally stood. She had one eyebrow raised, and he wanted to do nothing more than kiss the skeptical look off her face. But he could control himself for one night, just until he could test out his idea.

* * *

Oh yes, Kakashi has a plan. Are you excited? I am...but then again I know what his plan is, so maybe that doesn't count. Anyway, reviews will be given all the love I have, so send them on in.


	29. Out And About

Hello all, here's another chapter for all you hungry little readers. Sadly, this story is starting to near the end...though I'll be doing a sequel if people want it. Anyway, there should be at least two more chapters after tis, so don't be too angry please!

It's Sasuke's PoV, enjoy!

* * *

Sasuke rolled over with a little huff, trying not to drift into wakefulness but failing when there was nothing for him to cuddle. More specifically, there was a warmish dent in the mattress, and a cold draft at his back. Irritated, he opened his eyes and looked blankly at the Kakashi-free space next to him. Where had the man gone?

Oddly, Kakashi had kept true to his word, and done nothing more than spoon comfortingly against his back throughout the night. He'd been able to feel a not-so-innocent bulge at is lower back, but even so, nothing had happened. It was at times like this he was reminded that Kakashi was an ex-anbu jounin – nobody else he knew had such good self control.

He couldn't hear any sounds coming from the kitchen, and the shower wasn't running. Baby felt calm and he had a sense he'd been woken by a sound. He rolled over and peered at the window. Open. Kakashi must have gone out.

That didn't make sense at all. He'd allowed the man 'one more day' to convince him they could work together when this was all over. He'd assumed at least a part of that would involve some physical affection, and he felt strangely miffed that it didn't. Not that he _wanted_ to make things less platonic between them of course, but he'd been wrong. He hated misjudging a situation. That was all that bothered him about it. Plus he was a ninja dammit, he liked knowing what other people were up to, and he _dis_liked the unknown.

He shook his head and got up. Maybe he could be the stalker for a change.

#

He was getting really out of practice as a shinobi. He couldn't find Kakashi anywhere! It was ridiculous; he'd tracked his brother down before, though of course, it had taken longer than a morning. Then again, Itachi had been stronger than Kakashi, and actively _trying_ to hide, constantly on the move. So it rankled that he couldn't find a man he'd been living with, whose chakra signal he knew almost as well as his own, in a tiny town no less. He even had the help of the baby, he should be able to manage this with ease.

Still, he was a realist, and he wasn't stupid enough to let his pride rule him. He couldn't do it, so he'd just have to start asking around. He slipped into the nearest alley and henged himself back to his normal form. After all, people would get suspicious if a strange woman was asking for Kakashi, and though they'd decided to stay together once the child was born, he didn't feel ready to show anybody quite yet. People would probably get the wrong idea about the two of them, and think they were a couple or something, or be freaked out by the fact they were both the child's biological parents. He cringed at the thought of his little baby at the academy, an outcast for its parentage.

Actually, they could probably pass the child off as a foundling for the first few years of life...at least until its sharingan manifested. And by then maybe he wouldn't care so much any more what people thought, or the people would be able to see past the kid's genes. In all his memories of his mother, blurred and faded now, he didn't remember her being embarrassed once, even when he behaved terribly. She'd never been irritable, or distant, or any of the faults he knew he possessed. How the hell was he going to manage being a good mother?

He realized with a start that he was daydreaming in public, though alone still between the high walls and piles of old crates. He stepped back into the street, holding back the sway of his hips and keeping an eye out for any ninjas who might be worth asking.

He didn't spot any ninja for a long time, the streets crowded with civilians – it must have been the weekend, but he'd lost track of the days recently. It would probably be easiest to search around the training grounds, but he hadn't seen Kakashi when he'd gone over there earlier, and he didn't want to risk getting drawn into a spar now he looked like himself. That, and he was suddenly craving ramen again. Hopefully the Dobe would be at Ichiraku's, he hadn't seen the idiot in ages. He had failed to find Kakashi for long enough, he could give up for a bit.

Fate, however, wasn't on his side. Naruto was nowhere to be seen, and the only other person present was the guy who was his substitute for Team 7. He didn't bother flashing the blank-faced boy anything more than a contemptuous sneer though; he was too drawn by the scent of hot ramen to indulge in jealousy or anger.

"Hello, Traitor." Okay, maybe he was going to feel a little angry. After all, Sai was never really civil to him, so it was only reasonable to dislike the guy. Nothing to do with the fact that Sakura and Naruto were so distant now, just because they had this weirdo to replace him. It wasn't like they'd wanted him to leave all those years ago. He decided a noncommittal grunt would get his point across clearly enough...not that he was sure of the point he was making.

"Is your throat dry? Here, have some water." He flinched as this almost-stranger pushed a cup to his lips – a half empty cup that had clearly been drunk out of. He didn't want to share saliva with Sai! He turned his head away, wishing the ramen would come faster so he could eat and leave. Not that he was bothered by the teen, but e needed to find Kakashi.

"I'm fine."

"I thought you were supposed to have got over your monosyllabic tendencies. Last time Ugly spoke of you she said you were much improved." It took a few seconds to work out the identity of 'Ugly', and a moment more to get his temper back under control. This guy was more of a jerk than he had ever been, talking about his teammates like that. At least he'd only ever been rude _to_ Sakura, never about her.

"I am perfectly capable of using appropriate language. What do you want?" It felt good to fall into 'normal' mode, no stress of being all girly and soft. This was the real him, not the baby carrying, talkative, blushing thing he was underneath the henge.

"I'm meeting Dickless for lunch. He's late as usua-."

"OI! Don't call me that! Oh, hi Teme!" He held back a flinch as Naruto shouted from behind him. He hadn't felt the idiot's chakra presence, hadn't heard any footsteps, nothing. He really needed to get back to training. Only he needed to find Kakashi first, find out where the man had got to.

"Dobe. Where's Kakashi?" Naruto cocked his head irritatingly, then grinned, apparently realizing he wouldn't be impressed if the idiot said anything about his femaleness. Then he blinked innocently, apparently pondering the question. This couldn't be good.

"I think he's at home actually. _He_ left about half an hour ago. But anyway, you can't go rushing off straight away, we haven't seen each other in ages! And look, our ramen's here already!" Sasuke sighed. He wanted to get back to Kakashi but...well, he wanted to eat. And he needed to stop relying on Kakashi so much if they were going to be not-together.

Anyway, he hadn't seen Naruto in weeks. He didn't want to lose his teammates to a jerk like Sai just because he was too busy to talk to them. Kakashi would just have to wait.

#

The house was silent when he arrived, but he could tell by the way the baby flared to life that Kakashi was home. He rubbed his abdomen absently, passing the kitchen without a glance, merely feeling the throb of chakra inside him. It was like the games he'd played with Itachi, back when everything was perfect, calling out 'hotter' or 'colder' as he searched for hidden shuriken. Would he do that with his child? Would he be able to make his baby's life as good as his had been back in those hazy days of his infancy?

He snapped out of his reverie when he realized he'd stopped at the bedroom door. No doubt about it, Kakashi was behind. Feeling a little thrill of something warmer than fear, he reached out to the handle. This would be the deciding factor, he could feel it. This was why Kakashi had wanted one more day.

He opened the door, and blinked several times before stepping in.

There was a girl on the bed. A beautiful, lithe, absolutely gorgeous woman on Kakashi's bed. With short grey hair cut close around the nape of her neck, long over her eyes. With a scar over her one closed eye. Wearing a tank top, shorts, and a shit-eating grin. His henge broke as the baby suddenly grabbed the last of his chakra.

No doubt about it. That was Kakashi.

He sat down hard, back against the door and mouth refusing to form words.

* * *

And now I'm sure you can guess at Kakashi's plan. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and if you did, I hope you'll review. Either way, thanks for reading!


	30. Giving In

I know I said I wouldn't update late ever again...but now I have, and I'm probably going to again. My internet's been cut off (it happens waaay too often, 'cause I live on the edge of town), and so I have to use my friend's computer to write. So yeah, I'll try my best, but I can't make any promises. Before you get upset, I do have one consolation - this is longer than usual, _and_ it has a **warning** for citrus. So please don't kill me!

Kakashi's PoV, enjoy!

* * *

The day so far had been interesting, to say the least. He'd started off by paying a visit to the memorial, taking a little time to reflect on the possible consequences of his plan, and catching up on yesterday's missed time with his deceased comrades. Then he'd gone back to check on Sasuke, and only just made it out of the house again in time when she started to stir.

Next, he went to track down Naruto. Learning the technique hadn't proven difficult but it had taken a little bargaining before Naruto was willing to show him the jutsu. He'd been planning to show the kid his face some time soon anyway, so it was hardly a big loss. Luckily since the blond ninja was on his side, he got the hang of walking straight and even managed a low level sparring session against Naruto's girly form before he'd realized how late things had got.

He'd left Naruto with hurried instructions to stall Sasuke for a minute or ten while he got home and ready, then dashed almost at top speed homewards. If he trained like this, he could probably get as good as a girl as his normal body, and that would be a great help during reconnaissance missions, where he didn't want to be immediately recognized as 'Sharingan Kakashi'.

There hadn't been much time to think though once he got back, swiftly tidying the room and hopping into the shower to rinse off the morning's sweat. He'd felt Sasuke's chakra approaching just as he finished drying his hair, and quickly hopped into bed to wait.

And now here she was, mouth working the air like a dying fish, and limbs resting limply at -presumably- uncomfortable angles. More importantly, he felt just the same as ever about her – the perfect swell of her breasts and the tangle of her hair, her soft, pale skin contrasting with her darkly aristocratic features making his whole being thrum with anticipation, his love for her making his chest feel tight.

By the rosy tint of her cheekbones and the way her eyes were flitting over the outline of his body under the covers, he wasn't the only one who's affections were unchanged. Even so, he decided, he would have to seduce her into seeing reason. He didn't want her forgetting, or denying that she'd been attracted to him, just because she was scared to think she might not be entirely heterosexual.

Time to get things moving.

"Care to join me, Sasuke?" She flinched, mouth closing and eyes wide. It was probably something to do with the way his voice sounded now, all gentle and – dare he say it – motherly. He'd meant it to come out more seductively, but he hadn't quite got the hang of his new vocal chords yet. Still, she hadn't run yet. He was in with a chance, and right now he had nothing to lose.

So he sat up, letting the covers slip down his waist, revealing the silky underwear he'd borrowed from her. The same set as he'd found discarded at the side of the bed that fateful day he'd caught her in his bed...though he was pretty sure she hadn't made the connection, since she was still staring openly at his breasts. He raised his hand and beckoned, inwardly grinning. Being a girl was interesting; seducing a one, while being one, was not only interesting, but felt very, very sexy.

At last, Sasuke seemed to pull herself together, and got up, one knee clicking loudly in the silence as it untwisted from its odd position. For a moment it looked like she was going to run away after all – her hand reached for the doorknob behind her, knuckles white as she gripped it. But in the end, after a long moment of silent consideration, she let go and stepped forwards.

It was all he could do not to reach out and grab her as she walked to stand at the side of the bed, staring at him with slightly parted lips and slowly undoing the buttons on her jacket. He could tell by her expression she wasn't intentionally teasing him but even so, the way she moved – effortlessly graceful after all the practice she had had, methodical but ever so slightly hesitant – made his blood boil all the more.

At last she slid under the covers beside him, the cotton of her top an irritating barrier, but somehow an interesting sensation against his skin. Still, he'd rather have her out of it and naked, so he gently pulled her in for a kiss. It wasn't perfect; his lips felt unwieldy and his jaw too small, but it still made him tingle, the muscled in his thighs attempting to flex against his will at the strange rush of arousal. Sasuke made a small noise between them, and pulled him closer, making their breasts touch through the layers of fabric separating them. The way they changed shape, so soft and yet springy, was amazing, and the tightening sensation in the skin made him gasp slightly.

Sasuke pulled away slightly and smiled, almost a grin, and somehow devious. Then suddenly she shifted to sit astride him, knocking the covers back and gently grasping his waist. He hadn't expected her to be so confident, but he certainly wasn't complaining as her hands rubbed warm circles up his flesh. Her fingers slipped around his back, and a moment later he felt the tension of elastic at his back release, and the bra straps were being slid quickly down his arms.

He felt his skin shiver under her gaze, all heavy lidded and dangerously aroused, but before he had time to sit up and kiss that gorgeous expression, her hands found his breasts. He had a moment to laugh inwardly at himself for having breasts – it just sounded ridiculous, even with them right here in front of his eyes – before his mind went blank. Sasuke ran her nails, short and sharp and altogether too poorly looked after for a woman, directly over the sensitive skin, swirling round in a lazy spiral ending on his nipple.

He realized his back was arching involuntarily and quickly made himself lie still, feeling slightly bewildered at the loss of control. He was meant to be seducing _her_, not the other way round! But just then she leaned down and started pressing little damp kisses to his collar bone, working downwards with aching slowness until he could feel a warm tongue leaving an icily damp trail over his left breast, pausing to nip here and there.

He gave up holding back as she pinched the other nipple between her fingertips, and let a mewl pass his lips as he squirmed. The sensations were just too intolerable to resist – hot and cold and sucking and almost-pain and his belly tightening and all his muscles moving without any of their usual coordination as he tried to reach some kind of release. So similar, and yet so utterly different, so overwhelming, compared with his usual body.

He whimpered when she stopped though, then groaned slightly as she stood, impatiently yanking off her clothing, every last stitch. It was nothing like the not-strip-tease of earlier, but it was more arousing by far, seeing her so unreserved. He might have to do this whole girl business more often. Then she was back on the bed with him, easing off the last scrap of silk down his thighs, managing to tickle the delicate skin so his breath hitched at every inch until she reached his knees. And in one last tug they were both fully naked at last.

He couldn't resist the sight of all that exposed skin, perfect except for a few tiny scars, and he pulled them flush against one another, electricity sparking all over his skin where they touched. The ache between his legs felt hollow and burning now, damp too against his inner thighs, and he dipped his fingers down to feel.

He was so wet that, had he been a man, and this another woman, he would have been surprised. But as it was he only panted as Sasuke's hand joined him and rubbed experimentally at the flesh. He felt something, white heat, race up his spine, reverberating in his breasts and stomach, and even as he gasped, pulling her lips to him to meet his in a messy kiss, she pressed a finger into him.

"_Fuck_, Sasuke!" He only realized he had spoken when she grinned into the kiss, adding a second finger and curling them inside him. Another few expletives passed his lips as he felt that strange sensation, another layer of tension filling his whole body, making him buck his hips up blindly, wanting – needing – just a little more.

Her lips left his, and her fingers pulled away despite the way he could feel his own muscles trying to hold them inside. But before he could protest she a moved to the side of him, leaning up on her elbows and kissing, biting, licking a trail down him, pausing for a moment at his breasts, lingering at his navel, taking _far_ too long at the edge of his pubic hair, and then, then...she skipped down to is ankles, and started working her way up.

At last, when he couldn't keep back the unintelligible pleas coming from his throat unbidden, she reached out, spread his thighs wide, and lowered her head. It felt strange, hot and wet and her fingers spreading him and _oh god that was her tongue inside him_, and he bucked his hips at the way it felt. He could feel her teeth against him as she smiled, not so much nipping as grazing the sharp points against his flesh, making him see tiny stars on the edge of his vision. Suddenly she moved up slightly, lapping at a point that felt like pure arousal, pushing her fingers into him again, so much deeper than her tongue. He nearly screamed.

"_Please._ Please Sasuke." He didn't care that he was begging, that his voice was cracking, that his hands were grasping the sheets beneath him hard enough to make his knuckles ache. He just needed a release, and he needed it _now_. And then she stopped lapping and _sucked_, and is whole world shattered as she moved her fingers in time with his hips and he might have screamed but he couldn't hear anything past the silent roar of lightning through him.

It was a while – maybe a few seconds, maybe several minutes, he couldn't tell – before he was able to open his eyes. Not that he remembered shutting them. And there Sasuke was, kneeling between his spread knees with her hands between her own legs. He watched with sleepy entrancement for a moment before realizing the implications. He'd done this to seduce her, not to get off, and now he'd been the one seduced, the one who was currently very sated; and there she was, unfulfilled and ignored by him. He'd done nothing more than kiss her! He swallowed a groan at the thought.

"Sasuke, I'm...sorry. I was really selfish back there and..." She didn't look upset at all. In fact, she was smirking, flushed cheeks an naked body and all. She licked her own fingers, then leaned down to kiss him, filling is mouth with the taste and scent of arousal before sitting up slightly, propping herself up either side of his head.

"No problem Kakashi. The good thing about girls is that we can go more than once. And it's only afternoon, so you'll have time to make it up to me." He blinked at her provocative tone, but decided not to question it. Despite all his mistakes, it seemed his plan was working – she wasn't pushing him away physically or emotionally, and he doubted she could pretend this was all an accident, especially since she was the one who suggested they continued. And he certainly wasn't going to complain if they spent the rest of the day like this.

It was turning out to be one of his best and most successful plans ever.

* * *

So now you all know Kakashi's plan. Sorry if he was a tad OOC here, I felt he'd be a little overwhelmed by the shock of being female. As for Sasuke, explanations will follow in the next chapter. Feel free to rant about it if it bothered you though!

Oh, last thing, I'm definitely planning on a sequel for this fic, but I'm not going to start it immediately. So in the meantime, there's a poll on my profile so you can choose what I write in the intermission. Please let me know, 'cause I love writing stories you guys enjoy!


	31. Untangled

This is _very_ overdue. I'm so, so sorry everybody! I didn't mean to make everybody wait this long and I feel like a swine for doing so. Feel free to rant at me about my complete lack of dedication. I had a lot on, and no real internet access, but that isn't an excuse and I'm still really sorry. Especially as this is the last chapter, and I'm sure you've all been waiting to see how this ends...

But it's here now. The finale, as told by Sasuke. Enjoy!

* * *

Kakashi's breasts were wonderfully comfortable. That, and his – her – skin felt much softer, even though the same scars remained. He nuzzled them absentmindedly, feeling a bare nipple brush against his jaw, turning to nip at it but giving up half way. He was too tired to start another round.

Plus, from the sound of it, she'd fallen asleep.

It was surprising Kakashi had made it this far though, she was completely taken over every time she climaxed, always boneless and flushed and sleepy after. And she'd had what, four, five orgasms, and managed to stay awake all the time so far, giving as good as she got. He grinned at the thought.

It was strange to think of how things had been, just a few hours ago, all jumbled up and frightened. Now everything felt...right. Like it fitted, at last. From the moment she crooked her finger at him, smiling just slightly, looking familiar yet so very different, he'd known things were okay.

So he wasn't straight, not completely at least. Big deal. It didn't matter, because he'd never wanted _anybody_ except Kakashi, and he was almost sure that wasn't just post-coital hormones talking. Though they certainly agreed.

He was just into Kakashi, and that was fine, great, wonderful; especially considering the baby was theirs and they were going to parent it together.

It all fitted, and he was tired of running away from what felt right. So he'd gone along with Kakashi's playful posing, far too aroused and low on chakra to form coherent sentences, and eventually made it into the bed.

He'd almost laughed when he realized Kakashi didn't know how to do anything girly. That first kiss had been like a virgin with no experience trying to be bold. It was then he'd realized that somewhere along the way of learning to be girly (probably from those days of experimental masturbation, come to think of it), he'd come to understand feminine sexuality. Well, maybe not entirely, but more than any man did, certainly. And Kakashi was still in the same boat he had been on that first, drunken night.

In that moment, the feeling of power at the realization had decided him. He was going to take control for once. He wasn't the one who needed to be enticed into a relationship, he didn't need to have an escape route at all times. He wanted Kakashi, trusted him, liked him. Her. Whatever, it obviously didn't matter. He was making the decision on his own for once, just this once, he was going to control his own future, before he went back to putting other things first.

So now here he was, tired and sticky, and actually quite hungry because they never got round to eating supper. It wasn't quite bed-time yet, but it was getting dark, and he didn't want to upset the baby by doing anything that disturbed his routine too much.

He eased gently off that wonderful warmth, feeling his skin peeling away damply, and wandered to the kitchen to snack on biscuits. A moment later he heard shifting from the bedroom, and Kakashi wandered out, sleepy but definitely male again, completely naked except for his eye, covered by his headband.

"Want a shower, Sassykins?" He glared at the nickname, then blushed slightly as he realized he too was naked. And _he_ couldn't just turn back into a man whenever he wanted. Somehow though, he didn't feel as boxed in by the thought as usual, and he couldn't be bothered with pretense any more. He smiled and quickly stuffed one more biscuit in.

"Sounds great. You can wash my back."

#

Morning came too fast, too light, and too hot. Though the last may have been due to Kakashi's tight hold round his waist. It was a nice idea, being held through the night, but the reality was a lot less comfortable than he'd remembered, and right now he wanted to cool down.

He slid out carefully, but Kakashi still woke up. A squeak escaped him as hands grabbed at his hips, pulling him back against the man's broad chest, and he turned round to glare.

"Morning S'suke" Kakashi murmured against his cheek, altogether too hot and snuggly. Cuddles were all very well, but right now he just wanted a cool shower.

"Kakashi, let me go, you're too hot!" He felt the man chuckle, the vibrations passing into his back as he squirmed, and half-blushed at the unintentional innuendo. Eventually though, his struggles paid off – maybe only because Kakashi was scared of hurting the baby, but he was a shinobi; he took no shame in cheating.

He huffed and shook the heat out of his hair before heading for the shower – he seemed to be overdosing on them at the moment, but he just felt so _icky_...he probably shouldn't have let things continue last night even after they'd showered, but Kakashi had been very persuasive. Plus it was nice having him as a man again, warm and strong and deep inside-

His bedfellow called out, snapping him out of his memories, and he paused at the doorway to look back. The man made a beautiful picture like that, all nude and sleepy and unguarded, hair swept slightly back from his face and sharingan eyelid drooping a little lower than the other.

"We'll talk after, right?" The tone was nonchalant, but there was something odd in those half-lidded eyes that almost made him hesitate. But he nodded automatically, and that strange expression passed.

"Yeah, after breakfast."

Kakashi grinned and rolled gracefully off the bed to stand. It was nice that the man understood him – breakfast would be ready by the time he was done.

#

"So." It wasn't a proper sentence, but he had to start somewhere. And he didn't really know how to begin this conversation, not knowing exactly what Kakashi wanted to talk about. Though he had a pretty good idea...he just didn't want to admit he had been wrong until he had to.

Kakashi turned from the sink with an unreadable expression on his face again. The fact he had his mask back on didn't help, but Sasuke was used to reading the man despite it. It wasn't his 'mission face' exactly, but it was similar somehow. Shuttered. Protective. He gave himself a mental shake; he was looking too hard and putting feelings there he didn't know he was seeing. He'd just wait and see.

"Well, it's been more than a day now. And I think I made my point." Again, it was cautious, holding back somehow. Was this how he'd been behaving before? How ridiculous.

"Yeah, you certainly did. And...well, I suppose you were right."

There was a moment of completely still silence, and then Kakashi's face transformed almost imperceptibly, relaxing minutely into something warm.

"So we'll stay together?" The man was smiling in a way that made is stomach twist; completion and fear and the huge sense of a future filling him. He didn't try to restrain the urge to kiss that expression, and almost got caught up in the moment with Kakashi's arms and scent around him, his lips still soft despite their manliness. But he had one last thing to say.

"I'm not in love with you though, okay?" He ignored the urge to take it back, the whisper in him that said he might just be lying there. Feelings like that didn't develop over night, he was sure of it, and even if it could, it was still better not to say it. Kakashi just nodded though, no trace of discontent on his face, and moved back to claim his mouth.

It wasn't perfect, it was still all tangled and confusing. He was scared at the social implications and worried for their baby. But they were in this together, and for now, that was enough.

Fin.

* * *

There WILL BE A SEQUEL at some point. Not straight away, because I have a million other plots in my twisted little mind, and my muse dislikes children. But there will definitely be one, and when I begin it, I'll put a notice up on here so all you wonderful lovely guys who have this fic alerted will know immediately.

In the meantime, please do two things:

First, please review! I'd love to know all your thoughts on this story, especially my failings (I want to improve, after all), and any thoughts you have on the sequel. I might also do a couple of Crossed Wires based oneshots, so feel free to request any scenes you'd especially like to see.

Second, please vote in the poll on my profile as to which story I should write next. I want to write something you'll want to read!

And lastly, **THANK YOU**! Everybody who has read this fic has contributed to it - I look at the its each morning and feel inspired. Thanks especially to those who faved and reviewed, I've laughed and smiled and squealed at all your lovely comments, and I've developed as a writer as a result. I'll always be grateful to you for that, especially to KakashiKrazed and Gwenhyfer who have been with this fic the longest, I couldn't have got here without you.


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